Seattle-Tacoma plans major duty free expansion

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport is expanding its duty free offering by 30,700 square feet through a Hudson-led joint venture, introducing new retail concepts, immersive experiences and opportunities for local small businesses.

Summary:

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) has awarded a 20-year contract to a Hudson Group-led joint venture with local small businesses to deliver a 30,700-square-foot expansion of its duty free retail offering across the A, N and S Concourses.
The redevelopment will introduce new Pacific Northwest retail concepts, including a 12,000-square-foot duty free area on the A Concourse featuring a walkthrough layout, alongside plans to modernise shopping spaces elsewhere in the airport.
The project aims to enhance the passenger experience through innovative retail design, digital engagement and expanded amenities, while creating opportunities for women-owned, minority-owned and other small businesses.

Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) – a Corporate Partner of the FTE Digital, Innovation & Startup Hub – has awarded three new duty free store locations to a joint venture between Hudson Group Retail, LLC and four local small businesses, as part of a dramatic 30,700-square-foot expansion. Renderings of the new Pacific Northwest concepts include a dramatic walkthrough layout coming to the A Concourse in late 2027, along with spaces in the N and S Concourses to modernise SEA’s duty free shopping options.

Hudson leads a joint venture with local small business partner Randi Maya Sibonga of MCSB Inc., and ACDBE-certified partners Katherine Lam of Bambuza, Godwin Gabriel of MOOVN Technologies, LLC., and Marques Warren of Warren’s News & Gift Inc.

“Duty free shops are a hallmark of major international airports, and this expansion enables SEA to meet growing demand through innovative use of space and technology that elevates the overall traveller experience,” said Port of Seattle Commissioner Sam Cho. “This contract also builds in meaningful opportunities for women, minority, and small-owned businesses to continue thriving at SEA, reinforcing our longstanding commitment to supporting and uplifting local entrepreneurs.”

The joint venture group signed a 20-year contract for the spaces, with construction on A Concourse expected to start at the end of 2026 and be completed in late 2027. Work on the S Concourse will be part of the S Concourse Evolution project, which is slated to start multi-year construction in late 2026. The timeline for the duty-free space in N Concourse is still to be determined.

“This new duty free offer, coupled with Hudson’s emphasis on immersive experiences and digital engagement, will transform the travel experience at SEA,” said Steve Johnson, President & CEO, North America, Avolta. “We are proud and excited to grow our long-time partnership with the Port of Seattle to help usher in the next phase of SEA’s evolution and make the journey as exciting as the destination for the millions of travellers from around the world who visit the airport every year.”

The A Concourse will be the first to get the upgrade treatment, by adding approximately 12,000 square feet of new leasable space for duty free operations. The main project area is adjacent to the exit from the International Arrivals Facility (IAF) and Gina Marie Lindsey (GML) Hall. With the addition of the IAF, gates on the A Concourse are now internationally capable, making it an ideal location to provide expanded duty free services. The primary duty free area will sit in the centre of the concourse. It will include airport dining and retail space, a customer information hub, a music stage, and flight information displays throughout.

Some of the additional square footage for this area will come from closing five dining and retail locations, as well as opening new space on the concourse and mezzanine levels above GML Hall.