As 2008 drew to a close The Nuance Group underlined its credentials as one of the channel’s most ambitious retailers of fashion and accesories with the opening of Attitude Tax Free at Manchester Airport Terminal 1.

The swiss travel retailer’s latest store opening, on 4 December, is particularly significant within the context both of the industry and its category. This is not just any fashion shop. Dubbed a “fashion department store” by the company, this flagship 835sq m airside emporium is set to become the template for future Nuance fashion outlets in Europe.

It also underlines the fact that Nuance is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with in the fashion channel. The company will soon add Paris – the home of pret-a-porter fashion – to its roster following a joint-venture agreement with Aeroports de Paris, which was announced in July. Other fashion projects include a major contract gain at Geneva Airport, in partnership with CDG Participations, and Hamburg Airport Plaza, where the company made its debut in December.

The scale of the Manchester Airport project exposes Nuance’s grand plans for the category – and answers some of the key concerns of suppliers. When The Moodie Report carried out a survey of fashion brands for Category Insight, a supplement to our Digital Print Edition last year, the constant refrain was: “Give us more space.” Attitude Tax Free goes a long way to answering those wishes at Manchester.

The Nuance Group General Manager – UK & Eire Ian Hart emphasises the importance of the venture. “This store is a benchmark for Nuance for fashion – for the UK and across all of Europe. And it is the largest fashion store, we believe, in an airport.”

Attitude Tax Free carries up-to-the-minute fashion and accessories collections from leadings brands including Bally, Hugo Boss, Burberry, Escada, Emporio Armani, Henri Lloyd, Kenneth Cole, Montblanc, Paris Hilton, Porsche Design, Samsonite Black Label, Tommy Hilfiger and Tumi.

The brands are presented as a series of shop-in-shops, all customised and personalised to each company, and were chosen to appeal to the high percentage of ABC1 customers at Manchester T1. Some 70% of passengers are from this affluent demographic group, flying mainly on European and international routes. There is very little domestic traffic in this terminal.

The spacious multi-brand department store carries a wide assortment of merchandise, such as clothing – including men’s suits and overcoats – alongside bags, luggage, fashion jewellery, watches and sunglasses. “We wanted lots of variety,” enthuses Hart. “We think we will be able to sell men’s suits very successfully and we have installed four changing rooms.” These are located next to the Hugo Boss men’s shop-in-shop, where suits and business shirts are to the fore.

The latest trends in contemporary store design were executed by Swiss retail architect Roger Copeland, who is also working on Nuance’s Temptation store for high-end watches, jewellery and sunglasses, which is set to open soon in the same terminal. And crucially, Manchester Airport is pleased with the result too. Commercial Director Andrew Harrison tells The Moodie Report he is “delighted with this stunning store”.

Hart pays warm tribute to Manchester Airport Group’s contribution to the new boutique. “Without Manchester Airport’s help and expertise we could never have achieved anything like this,” he says, observing that the relationship between the two firms has already spanned some 15 years. That the partners work well together should perhaps be no surprise: The Nuance Group CEO Europe Jean-Paul Bonnel and Harrison previously worked together at Marks & Spencer’s flagship store in Paris.

Not only that but teams from Nuance and Manchester Airport explored the French capital’s department stores together to gather ideas on shop-in-shop execution and visual merchandising.

The double-height exterior glass display pillars give the store a dramatic frontage. Five mannequins, all immaculately turned out inside their glass pillars, remain outside the shutters even when the outlet is closed, so passengers can get a glimpse of the type of merchandise offered inside at all times. The use of mega-sized logos above the mannequins leaves passengers in no doubt that this is a fashion destination store.

The interior is single-height with low ceilings, but manages to achieve a continental-style look and feel – brilliantly executed in black, white, light grey and natural wood tones. The boutique feels exceptionally spacious, and the eyeline travels across the whole store with minimal obstruction, thanks to the effective use of mirrors and glass. The clever use of both mannequins and lighting showcases the merchandise to make the best impression.

Several products are pulled out and glorified to great effect, using glass display cases on podiums – such as crystal-studded Bvlgari sunglasses in the eyewear section, and Porsche Design’s mobile phone in the German brand’s shop-in-shop.

Plasma screens dotted around the store showcase some of the fashion collections from the catwalk, adding interest for shoppers. And significantly for the airport environment, flight screens are also much in evidence, notes Hart, so fashion-hungry passengers should never miss their flight.

The department store is divided into three distinct areas – one for the men’s shop-in-shops, one for the women’s labels, and an accessories section in the centre. Several of the brands, including Hugo Boss, are replicated in both men’s and women’s sections.

The buying team’s background exploratory work is evident in the inclusion of Henri Lloyd, the Manchester-based brand of outerwear and casual nautical inspired apparel, which offers travellers from outside the UK city an additional incentive to purchase.

In short, the retail execution is strong, the store staff are friendly, approachable and knowledgeable, and there are some particularly memorable display ideas. Inside Samsonite Black Label’s shop-in-shop, for example, interior pouches are removed from the inside of trolley bags and put on special display, so you can read the inscription inside them: “We hope you enjoy using this product”. It’s one of many neat touches that will impress visitors – and that certainly impressed us on our visit. Attitude Tax Free looks set to enhance the reputation of fashion and accessories retailing – so often an overlooked category – at airports.