Lagardère Travel Retail wins five shops at Bristol Airport from 2027
The travel retail subsidiary will operate five stores, totalling nearly 750 m², at England's third-largest regional airport. The openings will take place progressively from summer 2027. This win follows the recent launch of the Relay brand at Terminal 2 of London Heathrow.
Relay and Waitrose join forces under one brand in Bristol
Lagardère Travel Retail UK & Ireland announced on 3 November 2026 that it had secured a long-term contract with Bristol Airport. It covers five retail concepts offering travel essentials, takeaway food, technology and books. The units are located in both public and restricted areas, after security checks.
Three of the Relay stores will be operated under a dual brand with Waitrose & Partners, which is responsible for the takeaway food offering (freshly prepared sandwiches, wraps and salads). This arrangement continues the partnership already established between the two companies at London Heathrow Airport.
A main 362 m² store and four more compact formats
The main Relay / Waitrose & Partners store will occupy 362 m² in the departure lounge, complemented by a 50 m² kiosk located before the boarding gates. A third Relay / Waitrose & Partners point of sale, measuring 145 m², will be located on the city side and will serve both departing and arriving passengers.
The two other shops, also located in the departure lounge, are a 67 m² Tech2Go technology store featuring a demonstration area, and a 109 m² The Bookstore by Relay.
A contract tied to the airport's transformation plan
The contract is part of the next phase of Bristol Airport's £400 million transformation plan.
According to Kate Gwyther, Retail Director at the airport, this programme provides for a more spacious departure lounge and “almost twice as many shops and restaurants”. The airport welcomed more than 10.8 million passengers over the past 12 months.
For Peter Newbould, CEO UK & Ireland of Lagardère Travel Retail, this partnership represents “an important step in the development of our network dedicated to travel essentials”.
A subsidiary of Louis Hachette Group through the Lagardère group, the operator runs more than 5,000 points of sale in over 50 countries and achieved revenue of €8.0 billion (at 100%) in 2025.
