There's a reason officials of Reno/Tahoe International Airport are making a big deal out of the just-completed renovation of retail space: It's an important source of revenue for the airport.
Concessions for merchandise, food and beverages generate 8.4 percent of the airport's revenue.
Every dollar generated by concessions is a dollar that won't be charged to airlines in landing fees, said Public Affairs Manager Adam Mayberry.
Lower landing fees, in turn, encourage airlines to schedule flights here.
The Paradies Shops, the Atlanta-based company that operates a vast majority of the airport retail about 6,000 square feet in all invested $750,000 in the refurbished retail space.
That includes a store called Explore! Reno/Tahoe that features merchandise from Reno special events such as Hot August Nights and the Great Reno Balloon Races.
Other Paradies stores are the newly remodeled Ponderosa Pines, which sells outerwear, gourmet food and nature-related gifts; Travelmart news and book stores, the PGA Tour store and Reno/Tahoe News-Gifts.
Ethel M Chocolates, a specialty retailer at the airport, will invest $150,000 in remodeling and in installation of M&Ms vending machines, and an M&Ms Colorworks cart.
The cart is the first installed in any airport.
The retail renovation wraps up a project that began with remodeling of the food concessions on the airport concourses, followed by renovation of the food court concessions.
Select Service Partner invested $3.9 million in remodeling of the food court and concourse food-and-beverage venues.
The airport's investment, meanwhile, will total $1.1 million for renovation of public areas new carpet, new ceiling tiles and the like.
