Lagardère Travel Retail opens reinvented Aelia Duty Free and CASE BI stores at Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International Airport

Yesterday marked the official inauguration of Lagardère Travel Retail’s reinvented Aelia Duty Free and CASE BI stores at Blaise Diagne International Airport in Dakar. The opening marks a new phase in the company’s long-term development in Senegal and builds on a successful first phase of operations at Blaise Diagne International Airport, where Lagardère Travel Retail opened its first stores in 2017.

Lagardère Travel Retail continues to invest in the transformation of its retail offer in Dakar, with a clear ambition: to continuously enhance the passenger experience while setting the benchmark for travel retail in the West Africa region. This opening follows a year of strong momentum in Africa in 2025, marked by the company’s expansion into the new markets of Cameroon and Rwanda.

Fully redesigned, the two stores reflect Lagardère Travel Retail’s international standards of operational excellence, premium brand curation and customer-centric design. More than a simple refurbishment, the refreshed commercial space features a more fluid layout, immersive digital tools, upgraded services and an expanded selection of leading international brands across duty free and travel essentials.

A strong sense of place is at the heart of the refreshed shopping experience in Dakar. Lagardère Travel Retail aims to make its stores at Blaise Diagne International a showcase for Senegal, offering travelers an authentic and meaningful connection to the destination. The retail spaces feature a curated selection of Senegalese and African brands, including Notabané, Land of Africa, Réserve d’Afrique, Scent of Africa and Teasse, highlighting regional craftsmanship, creativity and savoir-faire.

Alongside this local focus, the stores also showcase a refined selection of prestigious international brands, including Parfums de Marly, a niche haute perfumery house and Jo Malone, a leading British fragrance brand, further elevating the premium positioning of the retail experience at Blaise Diagne International Airport.

The retail experience is further enhanced by new-generation digital screens, electronic shelf labels providing clearer and more dynamic product information, and an innovative children’s retail concept – deployed for only the second time within the Lagardère Travel Retail global network – designed to make the shopping journey more engaging for families.

Sountou Bousso, CEO of Lagardère Travel Retail West, Central & East Africa, commented: “The reopening of Aelia Duty Free and CASE BI at Blaise Diagne International Airport reflects our long-term commitment to Senegal. After a successful first phase of operations spanning almost a decade, we continue to invest and reinvent our concepts to meet the evolving expectations of travelers and our business partners. By combining international excellence with a strong local identity, our ambition is to deliver ever more meaningful travel experiences and to continue setting the benchmark for travel retail in the region, while positioning our stores as true showcases of the countries in which we operate.”
 

Cheikh Bamba Dieye, CEO of Blaise Diagne International Airport, said: “It is a great honor for us to celebrate the reopening of Lagardère Duty Free stores at Blaise Diagne International Airport. This opening reflects the strength, reliability, and durability of our partnership with Lagardère Travel Retail, built on professional rigor and respect for Senegalese culture. Together, we share a common ambition: to offer passengers a modern, high-quality retail experience that highlights the identity of Senegal, contributes to the airport’s attractiveness, creates jobs, and strengthens the country’s position as a leading aviation hub in West Africa.”

Present in Senegal since 2017, Lagardère Travel Retail considers the country a strategic market within its African footprint. With this new phase of development in Dakar, the company reaffirms its commitment to sustainable growth, value creation for its airport partners and the promotion of African talent within its global travel retail network.

About Lagardère Travel Retail
Lagardère Travel Retail, a subsidiary of Louis Hachette Group (through Lagardère group), an international group listed on Euronext Growth, is a leading global Travel Retailer, with the longest standing expertise of serving the needs of travelers and partners across Travel Essentials, Duty Free & Fashion and Dining. Lagardère Travel Retail operates over 5,000 stores in airports, railway stations and other concessions in over 50 countries, and has generated €7.6 bn in sales (100%) in 2024.
​We harness our pioneering culture to make travel more enjoyable with bespoke offers and experiences. We invest our world-class global expertise and local knowledge to design value-creating partnerships and experiences for our stakeholders: landlords, brands, travelers, employees and communities.
We actively champion the more sustainable future of Travel Retail through our comprehensive CSR strategy, covering all aspects of where we, as a business, have an impact and can make a difference.  
www.lagardere-tr.com  ●  @LagardereTR