New luxury stores open at Heathrow Terminal 5

Heathrow has opened a new line-up of luxury stores in Terminal 5 to boost its premium retail offering with Bottega Veneta, Prada, Dior and Hermès all arriving there.

The airport operator said travellers can expect “exclusive, convenient and immersive shopping experiences as they move through the terminal”. If follows Heathrow being voted by passengers as ‘the World’s Best Airport for Shopping at the Skytrax World Airport Awards’ earlier this year.

The new luxury stores are offering  exclusives and personalised services. 

And while Hermès hasn’t yet opened (it’s arrival is imminent), others are up and running. Prada’s handbags are the focus of its new store, but more of the new arrivals have also included RTW and other key categories in the mix.

Bottega Veneta’s new boutique has bespoke features, including terrazzo flooring and carries a wide selection such as its leather bags, shoes, fragrances, jewellery and travel accessories. 

Interestingly, the boutique also introduces, for the first time, several new furniture pieces, including a glass-and-vitrine table and softly rounded wooden shelving. The aim here is to complement the store’s displays “while creating a more intimate shopping experience” rather than the just-passing-through experience that’s so often the norm with airport shopping.

Over at Zegna, the menswear boutique “offers customers an immersive store experience, complete with comfortable, contemporary furnishings, and the brand’s signature foliage-inspired colour palette”.

The label’s “most recognisable” collections are there, including its Triple Stitch sneakers along with RTW staples in its menswear category such as overshirts and knitwear, plus accessories. 

At Dior, the upgraded store “broadens the brand’s offering” to Heathrow passengers, who can now browse a selection of leather goods, accessories and seasonal pieces alongside men’s and women’s RTW. The new boutique has mirrored ceilings “to create a bright, spacious feel throughout”.

Meanwhile Smythson is also there (having had a presence at Heathrow generally for 30 years). The store offers high-end stationery, diaries and leather goods, as well as bespoke gold-stamping services exclusive to Heathrow. Passengers can personalise their purchases with their initials, a playful motif, or with the newly introduced, exclusive collection of designs inspired by vintage passport stamps. 

Nancy Stewart, head of category for Luxury, Fashion and Duty Free at Heathrow said: “Luxury shopping is about choice as much as it’s about exclusivity. From iconic international fashion houses to beloved British brands, travellers now have a greater range of options and access to items that are unique to Heathrow. 

“Our shared focus on delivering an exceptional passenger experience is especially important in a commercially challenging post-Brexit environment, where the UK remains an international outlier without tax-free shopping. 

“With Hermès also opening its new boutique this month, we’re continuing to invest in a premium retail experience that reflects the expectations of today’s passengers and supports our ambition to make Heathrow a world leader in passenger experience.”