Hudson Group and Empire State Realty Trust Celebrate Grand Opening of the Empire State Building Official Store

Business Wire 12-Feb-2019 5:11 PM

Hudson Group (NYSE:HUD), a leader in North American travel retail, in partnership with Empire State Realty Trust (NYSE:ESRT), today announced the unveiling of the Empire State Building Official Store, as part of the reimagined Empire State Building Observatory experience. Located on the 2nd floor at the point of exit, the newly renovated 4,500 sq. ft. retail space offers over 800 items exclusive to the property, including destination mementos, curated souvenirs, and modern luxury, as well as a new shop-in-shop experience, Empire on Fifth.

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Hudson Group opens iconic new store at Empire State Building (Photo: Business Wire)

The Empire State Building Official Store is one of more than 300 specialty retail locations operated by Hudson Group. Designing the store to sit inside the world's most famous building was a challenging and rewarding effort, as the Empire State Building is famous for its Art Deco style. Using its iconic details as inspiration, and combining it with a level of modernity, the layout of the store sends guests through the space in an intuitive way. Catering to its 4+ million annual global visitors, guests are greeted in multiple languages by a Welcome Wall that replicates the mural in the lobby of the Observatory entrance, and are then guided by upscale brand shops and an assortment of luxury product.

Much of the shop's collection is designed exclusively for the Empire State Building Official Store, and it includes top name brands such as Greg Norman Golf, Kate Spade, Lenox, LAMY, Zippo, Solvar, Vineyard Vines, Marley Audio, and many more. In addition, visitors will also be able to find King Kong and Empire State Doorman Bear merchandise, highlighting the heart of the Empire State Building's pop-culture history and storied tradition.

Another new aspect of the shop is the Fine Art collection that includes a local artist wall which showcases artwork inspired by the Empire State Building and its place in the New York City skyline. Jeremy Wolff, a contemporary pop art artist based in New York City, is the first artist to be displayed. The Fine Art section also includes a line of merchandise inspired by internationally-renowned artist Stephen Wiltshire's remarkable black-and white-panorama of New York City, which was drawn from memory live on-site at the Empire State Building after only a 45-minute helicopter ride.

"With our $160 million Observatory upgrade, the redesign of our store elevates the retail experience at the Empire State Building and caters to our guest's interests. From the King Kong section to exclusive merchandise from top brands Baccarat Crystal, Puma, Swarovski and more, there truly is something for everyone," said Jean-Yves Ghazi, Senior Vice President of the Observatory.

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan, the Empire State Building is New York City's most recognizable and celebrated attraction. Millions of visitors from all over the world marvel at the spectacular views from its 86th Floor and 102nd Floor Observatories. With new investments in infrastructure and amenities, the Empire State Building is a must-see for New York City visitors.

"Hudson Group is elevating the gift store experience in our properties across North America by bringing 30 years of travel retail experience to tourism," said Roger Fordyce, CEO, Hudson Group, a Dufry company. "We could not be prouder to partner with Empire State Realty Trust to offer this new amenity to visitors at the most recognized building in the world, the Empire State Building."

The Empire State Building Official Store is another extension of Hudson Group's deep ties to New York. The company began as Hudson News with its first store in LaGuardia Airport. Since then, Hudson Group has expanded to over 1000 locations across North America.

The Empire State Building Official Store is open seven days a week, from 8:00 a.m. until 2:00 a.m. Visitors may also browse a wide selection of gifts on the Empire State Building's official website http://www.esbnyc.com/explore/official-gift-shop.

About Hudson Group

Hudson Group (NYSE:HUD), a Dufry Company and one of the largest travel retailers in North America, is committed to enhancing the travel experience for over 300,000 travelers every day in the continental United States and Canada. The Company is anchored by its iconic Hudson, Hudson News and Hudson Bookseller brands and operates over 1,000 duty-paid and duty-free stores in 87 locations, including airports, commuter terminals, hotels and some of the most visited landmarks and tourist destinations in the world. Our wide range of store concepts include travel essentials and convenience stores, bookstores, duty-free shops, branded specialty stores, electronics stores, and quick-service food and beverage outlets. For more information, visit www.hudsongroup.com and www.dufry.com.

About the Empire State Building

Soaring 1,454 feet above Midtown Manhattan (from base to antenna top), the Empire State Building, owned by Empire State Realty Trust, Inc., is the "World's Most Famous Building." With new investments in energy efficiency, infrastructure, public areas and amenities, the Empire State Building has attracted first-rate tenants in a diverse array of industries from around the world. The Empire State Building was named the world's most popular travel destination in a study conducted by Uber and was named America's favorite building in a poll conducted by the American Institute of Architects. For more information on the Empire State Building, please visit www.empirestatebuilding.com, www.facebook.com/empirestatebuilding, @EmpireStateBldg, www.instagram.com/empirestatebldg, http://weibo.com/empirestatebuilding, www.youtube.com/esbnyc or www.pinterest.com/empirestatebldg/.

About Empire State Realty Trust

Empire State Realty Trust, Inc. (NYSE:ESRT), a leading real estate investment trust (REIT), owns, manages, operates, acquires and repositions office and retail properties in Manhattan and the greater New York metropolitan area, including the Empire State Building, the "World's Most Famous Building." Headquartered in New York, New York, the Company's office and retail portfolio covers 10.1 million rentable square feet, as of September 30, 2018, consisting of 9.4 million rentable square feet in 14 office properties, including nine in Manhattan, three in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and two in Westchester County, New York; and approximately 700,000 rentable square feet in the retail portfolio.

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