Global travel retailer WHSmith has opened its speciality curi.o.city retail format store in Belfast City Airport - its eighth overall and first in Northern Ireland
Curi.o.city offers travellers a high-quality range of gifts, stationery and souvenirs, categories where there is high customer demand, as well as locally sourced products.
In the new City Airport store this includes products like a handmade miniature wooden model of the iconic Samson and Goliath gantry cranes from local family run business Cowfield Design.
Products are also showcased in a store environment which reflects the culture of Belfast and Northern Ireland including local artwork.
Curi.o.city was first launched by WHSmith in 2023 and the concept has expanded into 23 locations across the UK and internationally.
In the UK, curi.o.city stores are located in London Gatwick airport, Bristol airport, St Pancras station and Selfridges in Birmingham and Manchester.
In addition, as part of WHSmith’s strategy to enter new markets and scale the group’s retail formats, curi.o.city also recently expanded internationally for the first time with its partner Al Maya, opening two standalone stores in the UAE and 15 concessions within Al Maya’s Borders stores across the Middle East.
Andrew Harrison, managing director at WHSmith Travel, said: “Since launching curi.o.city last year we’ve had great feedback from customers, and we’re delighted to start offering our ranges of high quality stationery and localised gifting and souvenirs to the travelling customers of Belfast City Airport for the first time.”
Michael Jackson, head of commercial at Belfast City Airport, added: “We are passionate about supporting local suppliers and giving our passengers a choice of high-quality products.
“So are delighted to welcome curi.o.city to our departures lounge, where it will meet the demand for excellent products with a real sense of place while allowing passengers to shop for unique and modern, gifts and souvenirs.”
