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PEACE BRIDGE DUTY FREE HIRES NEW GM
| Submitted: June 15th, 2010
By: |
Glenn Mills to guide company’s growth as a luxury shopping experience
Peace Bridge Duty Free, the largest duty free shop in North America, has redesigned itself as a five-diamond luxury shopping destination and hired a new general manager to lead its world-class shopping experience.
Duty Free President George W. Slipp announced hiring Glenn J. Mills, who joins the independent, private retailer on the Canadian side of the Fort Erie-Buffalo border after serving for 10 years in five senior executive positions with Golf Town, a golf equipment retailer. Mills is credited with helping grow the Ontario-based company from two to 48 stores with 1,600 employees, making the small start-up the world’s fourth-largest golf retailer a decade later, with $350 million in sales.
Mills’ focus at Duty Free will be to highlight fine fragrances, cosmetics, jewelry, watches, china and crystal, vintage wines and more that it sells, helping make it the world’s third-largest duty free store. The 28,000-square-foot store features many high-end brands, the newest of which include Kenneth Cole, Guess and Gucci.
Peace Bridge Duty Free is responsible for more sales of Crown Royal whisky than any other single store in the world, and sells more Absolut vodka than any other retail store in North America.
“I’m very excited to be part of the force driving change in our organization and working with the Peace Bridge Duty Free’s passionate sales team," said Mills. "The five-diamond plan will involve all aspects of the operation at our first-class facility and provide our valued clientele with a luxury shopping experience at tax- and duty-free pricing."
Mills is also leading Duty Free’s reorganization of its already impressive vintage wine and high-end Scotch section. While Peace Bridge Duty Free currently offers wines from all over the world, and is the largest duty-free retailer of ice wines in Canada, the section will soon also contain an area dedicated to the finest wines and Scotches.
“We are heavily reinvesting in the business to create an experience that gives cross-border shoppers even more reason to get in the car and make the quick trip," said Mills.
Mills, who also gained retail experience managing Canadian Tire and Zellers stores earlier in his career, attended Florida Atlantic University on an academic/tennis scholarship, York University for accounting and completed the Executive Development Program at Queen’s University, Kingston, ON. Mills is married with two young daughters and has family ties to Ft. Erie.
“We are known for our low tobacco and liquor prices, but we are now so much more, offering fine fragrances, jewelry, and other products only found in the largest cities,” Mills said. “Peace Bridge Duty Free is literally at the confluence of two great nations and we will not rest until we meet the luxury needs of both countries’ consumers.”
Coinciding with completion of the new wine and Scotch section will be an all-encompassing marketing campaign – designed with help from two University at Buffalo business school professors – that will effectively communicate the store's new luxury positioning to the public. Peace Bridge Duty Free, which is less than three miles from downtown Buffalo, is working with a marketing firm to develop radio and print advertising incorporating a new slogan and visuals that exemplify luxury.
"If you want to shop for products usually found in stores like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus and Birk’s, now you can, on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge," said Mills. "We will exceed our customers’ expectations and maintain impeccable physical and attitudinal standards of excellence.”
Duty Free’s marketing director said excellence is the standard.
“Essentially, the products we sell and the way in which we sell them reflect how customers view our store. If we strive for excellence in both of the above, we're confident that this undertaking will be a success," said Bonnie Gates, Duty Free’s marketing manager.
For an easy primer on duty-free regulations for Canadian or American shoppers, go to www.dutyfree.ca.
More About Peace Bridge Duty Free
Peace Bridge Duty Free, located on the Canadian side of the Peace Bridge, began operations in 1986 as the first land border duty free operation on the Niagara River. Our first location was at the base of the Peace Bridge where we stayed until 1998. On Oct. 31, 1998 we moved to our current building, which is the largest Duty Free Shop in North America and 3rd largest in the world. Peace Bridge Duty Free prides ourselves as being the premier provider of affordable luxury merchandise and leaders in the travel retail industry, showcasing world-renowned fine fragrances, cosmetics, watches, jewelry, spirits, wines and more. Our customers are faithful and expectant of superior customer service and quality luxury products that makes Peace Bridge Duty Free a true "World Class Shopping Experience." Peace Bridge Duty Free is open 24 hours a day 365 days a year. For more information visit our website at www.dutyfree.ca or call our toll free number 1-800-361-1302. Peace Bridge Duty Free - Luxury Made Affordable.
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