Autogrill grows further in the UK

Milan , 06 November 2014 - Acting through its HMSHost International subsidiary, Autogrill Group (Milan: AGL IM) is growing in the United Kingdom, having secured a new seven-year contract at Manchester Airport entailing the opening of new points of sale and the renewal of space in which it was already operating. The Company also won two new contracts, one of which to run for seven years at Stansted Airport and the other for nine years at London’s Euston Station. Such business is expected to generate revenues of over 110 million pounds during the overall span of the contracts.

"Following our entry to the Eurotunnel railway stations in October 2013 and our consolidation of business at East Midlands Airport these operations give a new boost to our development in the UK, a market the Group has always found difficult to access,” said HMSHost International CEO, Walter Seib. “In a few months we have expanded our network in the country and are preparing to exploit future business.”

The total number of points of sale operated by the Group in the UK goes up to 37 across seven airports (London-Stansted, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Belfast, Inverness, Jersey and East Midlands), two railway stations (King’s Cross, Euston) and the British side of the Eurotunnel.

The new contracts reflect the Group’s ongoing strategy of expansion in Northern European airports and railway stations, consistently with the business development scenario. Since October 2013 the Group has given a new boost to its growth in this region, having entered Helsinki Airport in Finland, where the Group manages 16 points of sale (over 50% of the total food & beverage capacity in the airport). This operation was followed by entry at Düsseldorf Airport in Germany and the consolidation of its operations in Copenhagen Airport in Denmark.

Manchester Airport

The Group has won a new contract at Manchester Airport, the UK’s 3rd biggest airport by passenger traffic (20 million in 2013), enabling it to expand by 50% the commercial space it operates in Terminal 3 where it was already running the Trattoria Milano point of sale. These operations are expected to generate revenues of around 70 million pounds during the overall span of the contract (2015 to 2021). In the new space assigned to it HMSHost will open an extended version of Trattoria Milano, an Italian casual dining restaurant, and two new concepts: The Lion & Antelope, a contemporary revisiting of the traditional English pub, and Pork & Pickle, a take-away delicatessen.
The airport is served by over 60 airlines linking the metropolitan area to over 190 destinations worldwide.

London Stansted Airport

The Group has been assigned the management until 2021 of a new point of sale at London Stansted airport, where it will bring Leon, the healthy fast food brand successfully implemented at King's Cross railway station and at Heathrow. The estimated total revenues over the duration of the contract are over 15 million pounds. The new outlet will join the Illustrious Bar already present at the airport.
With over 18 million passengers in 2013, London-Stansted is the UK's 4th airport by traffic flows and its main hub for low-cost flights, connecting to over 150 international destinations.

London-Euston railway station

The Group has extended its presence in London's railway stations with the launch of operations in London-Euston, where it has been awarded a new concession until 2023 to manage a Leon branded outlet. Such business is expected to generate revenues of nearly 30 million pounds during the overall span of the contract.
London-Euston is the city’s 4th biggest railway station and a major junction for urban transport, moving over 70 million passengers a year. Such traffic is expected to grow at 2.8% a year thanks to an extension project that will bring high-speed lines through the station.

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Active in over 100 airports worldwide, HMSHost operates in the top 30 airports in North America by passenger traffic. Elsewhere, the Company has f&b operations, through its HMSHost International division, in 18 European airports and 21 airports across the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Region.