CGN Duty Free | Köln-Bonn Duty Free Airport Shopping
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Cologne Bonn: low-cost airport with an eye for fashion ....
Cologne Bonn narrowly failed to break through the 10 million-passenger barrier in 2010. The German airport fell short of the mark by 100,000 as the Icelandic volcanic eruption last April and the severest European winter in years conspired to deprive the airport of at least double that amount of travellers.Passenger traffic numbers are of course important to all airports. However, as a small northern European airport sandwiched between much larger international hubs such as Dusseldorf and Frankfurt, attracting as many passengers as possible is absolutely crucial to Cologne Bonn’s long-term survival. The airport experienced its biggest boom during the 1990s as low-cost travel revolution got underway, but with Europe still in the grips of recession, business has got a lot tougher of late.
On a brighter note the airport managed to get back in the black in 2010 after two loss-making years so the outlook is not a completely downbeat one. Low-cost carrier Germanwings is Cologne Bonn’s biggest airline followed by another no-frills player Air Berlin and then flag carrier Lufthansa. The airport is currently Germany’s sixth largest, boasting a total of 35 airlines. Together they fly to 110 destinations in 30 countries.
As you might expect of a German airport Cologne Bonn scores very highly with travellers, who appreciate its friendly and efficient staff, decent shops and restaurants, and clean amenities. The shopping offer may not have the range of a larger international hub, but there is a solid duty-free proposition in the shape of German retailer Gebr. Heinemann. There is also a decent sprinkling of fashion boutiques, but there are some gaps• local gifts and souvenirs are thin on the ground considering the wonderful Medieval and Roman history of Cologne, and where are the shops promoting the gastronomic delights of North Rhine-Westphalia?
Cologne Bonn has two terminals, Terminals 1 and 2, which are connected by a shuttle bus. Both terminals boast a Duty Free/Travel Value outlet operated by Gebr. Heinemann, which has shops at nearly every German airport. Now we could grumble about the lack of competition and variety in German travel-retail, but we won’t. Gebr. Heinemann is a pretty good travel-retailer and makes an effort to promote local products to distinguish the product offer at each of its airport locations.
The retailer also has an excellent website, heinemann-dutyfree.com, where travellers can pre-order their purchases before travelling and then pick them up in departures. There is also a comprehensive product listing and details of new arrivals and special promotions. Examples of deals on offer to traveller in July 2011, include 30% off the following: Highland Park Vintage 1998 single malt whisky (€31.50/£27.70), Lacoste Pour Femme edp spray (€41/£36), Davidoff Adventure edt spray (€37/£32.55) and a 1 kilogramme box of Lindt Assorted Napolitains (€18.50/£16.30).
Fashion is a strong category at Cologne Bonn. Take your pick from the informal but stylish international fashion chain Esprit, which runs outlets in both terminals, and sells everything from lingerie and hosiery to jackets and caps, to the more classic, formal look of Hugo Boss, which again boasts shops in both terminals. Other alternatives include Marco O’Polo (Terminal 1), which is famous for its casual shirts, and Mexx• an international fashion brand selling clothes and accessories for men, women and children. Mexx describes its metropolitan casual look as “smart, classy and confident”.
We like our gadgets here at taxfreetravel so the Pro-Idee outlet in Termina1 also caught our eye. Pro-Idee is a German retailer, which sources a wide of range of design-led products (many of them are award winners) from around the world. Jewellery, homeware, electronics, travel accessories and quirky items such as solar-powered showers are all part of the mix.
They are a liberal-minded lot the Germans so perhaps it is no surprise that Cologne Bonn airport features its own adult shop in the shape of Beate-Uhse (Terminal 1), a well-established retailer in this “field” with outlets selling XXX-rated materials all over the country. What is a surprise, however, is that the airport lacks a decent electronics shop (the Mobile Phone Shop in the arrivals of Terminal 2 just doesn’t cut it in our view).
Where Cologne Bonn does score marks is in having supermarkets in both terminals (Rewe City in Terminal 1 is particularly impressive). Luxury goods and duty-free are all very well, but in an airport dominated by short-haul low-cost traffic sometimes travellers need to stock up on everyday essentials rather than fancy gifts.
If you crave a pint (or should that be a half litre?) of the local “Kölsch beer, head to the Sion Kölsch bar in Terminal 1, or the Kölsch & Co. bar in Terminal 2. Alternatively, sweet treats can be bought from the Kamps bakery in Terminal 1, while the Käfer Deli Lounge in Terminal 2 serves up salads, sandwiches, hot dishes and desserts with great views of the runway. Guten Appetit!
Related links
Cologne Bonn official airport shopping site (also available in German and Dutch)
http://www.koeln-bonn-airport.de/main.php?id=72&lang=2
The retailer also has an excellent website, heinemann-dutyfree.com, where travellers can pre-order their purchases before travelling and then pick them up in departures. There is also a comprehensive product listing and details of new arrivals and special promotions. Examples of deals on offer to traveller in July 2011, include 30% off the following: Highland Park Vintage 1998 single malt whisky (€31.50/£27.70), Lacoste Pour Femme edp spray (€41/£36), Davidoff Adventure edt spray (€37/£32.55) and a 1 kilogramme box of Lindt Assorted Napolitains (€18.50/£16.30).
Fashion is a strong category at Cologne Bonn. Take your pick from the informal but stylish international fashion chain Esprit, which runs outlets in both terminals, and sells everything from lingerie and hosiery to jackets and caps, to the more classic, formal look of Hugo Boss, which again boasts shops in both terminals. Other alternatives include Marco O’Polo (Terminal 1), which is famous for its casual shirts, and Mexx• an international fashion brand selling clothes and accessories for men, women and children. Mexx describes its metropolitan casual look as “smart, classy and confident”.
We like our gadgets here at taxfreetravel so the Pro-Idee outlet in Termina1 also caught our eye. Pro-Idee is a German retailer, which sources a wide of range of design-led products (many of them are award winners) from around the world. Jewellery, homeware, electronics, travel accessories and quirky items such as solar-powered showers are all part of the mix.
They are a liberal-minded lot the Germans so perhaps it is no surprise that Cologne Bonn airport features its own adult shop in the shape of Beate-Uhse (Terminal 1), a well-established retailer in this “field” with outlets selling XXX-rated materials all over the country. What is a surprise, however, is that the airport lacks a decent electronics shop (the Mobile Phone Shop in the arrivals of Terminal 2 just doesn’t cut it in our view).
Where Cologne Bonn does score marks is in having supermarkets in both terminals (Rewe City in Terminal 1 is particularly impressive). Luxury goods and duty-free are all very well, but in an airport dominated by short-haul low-cost traffic sometimes travellers need to stock up on everyday essentials rather than fancy gifts.
If you crave a pint (or should that be a half litre?) of the local “Kölsch beer, head to the Sion Kölsch bar in Terminal 1, or the Kölsch & Co. bar in Terminal 2. Alternatively, sweet treats can be bought from the Kamps bakery in Terminal 1, while the Käfer Deli Lounge in Terminal 2 serves up salads, sandwiches, hot dishes and desserts with great views of the runway. Guten Appetit!
Related links
Cologne Bonn official airport shopping site (also available in German and Dutch)
http://www.koeln-bonn-airport.de/main.php?id=72&lang=2
Tax Free Travel Related Guides .....
See our shopping overview of Frankfurt International, and our detailed shopping guides to Frankfurt Terminal 1 Tax & Duty Free Shopping and Frankfurt Terminal 2 Tax & Duty Free Shopping
See our shopping overview of Frankfurt International, and our detailed shopping guides to Frankfurt Terminal 1 Tax & Duty Free Shopping and Frankfurt Terminal 2 Tax & Duty Free Shopping
