Montreal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International (YUL) has welcomed two new HDS Retail North American concepts to its expansion of the Transborder section, which handles passengers heading to the United States. At San Antonio International (SAT), the company has re-opened a signature concept.

RELAY, a news and gift operator, and Mexx/Artizan, a combination store offering men’s and women’s fashion, jewelry and accessories, opened their doors June 27.

“Artizan has proven repeatedly that it can hit the spot with travelers and we’re very happy to bring this concept to the Transborder wing in Montreal-Trudeau,” says Jonathan Alpert, executive vice president of merchandising at HDS Retail. “In addition, we are pleased to launch a partnership with Mexx, an exciting fashion brand, to deliver their first airport store. Mexx complements our specialty retail offering very nicely.”

The 2,123 sq. ft. combination store is the first of its kind in North America.

“We always felt that our transborder traffic represented a big opportunity for concessions,” says Jean Teasdale, vice president real estate and commercial services for Aéroports de Montréal. “We had a very specific vision for our new development and we are delighted that HDS Retail has recognized this opportunity by delivering exciting concepts that align with this vision.”

At SAT, the company has opened the newly renovated Stars of San Antonio.

The store, which opened June 21, is almost twice the size of the original store, at 1,840 sq. ft. It offers Western-themed merchandise and piñatas, and gives travelers a taste of the city. The architecture features a scale reproduction of The Alamo.

“With Stars of San Antonio opening, we now have the first HDS Retail location at San Antonio International Airport that reflects the partnership between our company and Duty-Free of San Antonio, a local minority-owned business,” says Jeff Sailer, vice president for development and diversity for HDS Retail. “HDS Retail is vested in the local community and has created a retail program that provides guests of the San Antonio International Airport with an outstanding shopping experience that also expresses the unique qualities of San Antonio and Texas through the design and theme. Stars of San Antonio, is truly a unique shopping experience.”

In other HDS Retail news…

Phoenix-Mesa Gateway (IWA) has named the Delstar Cos. the recipient of a food and beverage location.

Delstar, which is based in Phoenix, Ariz., and owned by HDS Retail, will bring Just Plane Food Café to IWA, featuring a national branded coffee, espresso-based hot and cold beverages, baked goods, sandwiches, packaged snacks and grab-and-go items.

"Just Plane Food Café concept is a perfect complement to the Just Plane Easy® theme of Phoenix Mesa Gateway Airport: easy, fast, efficient and convenient,” says Pam Del Duca, president and CEO of Delstar. “We can’t wait to start offering our great food to go options to travelers at Mesa Gateway."

The café is slated to open in November in the new Annex Terminal, which opened last year.