WT supports Mercurius Group airport retail fitout study

Australia-based project advisory firm WT has partnered with The Mercurius Group to advance the Airport Retail Fitout Study 2026, benchmarking retail fitout costs across Pacific airports.

The collaboration focuses on enabling airports and retailers to manage capital budgets more effectively.

The study, initially unveiled at the 2025 Airport Retail & Commercial Forum in Sydney, involved input from retailers including SSP, Avolta, and Emirates Leisure Retail ANZ, alongside designers Dovetail and shopfitter Trivision.

The research provides benchmarks that allow retailers to compare costs against peers, identify efficiency opportunities, and prepare more accurate budgets for bids and tenders. The insights also help airports consider ways to minimise fitout costs, potentially increasing rents and enabling reinvestment into consumer experience.

Mercurius Group Managing Director Ivo Favotto said he was “delighted that WT has come onboard” and added their expertise would provide “meaningful comparisons between the cost of on-airport and off-airport fitouts” while bringing “significant value to the Study.”

WT’s National Director Tony Griffin said, “WT is proud to join this project and build on the strong foundation already in place.” He added, “There’s an unprecedented wave of terminal investment across the Pacific region, with retail fitouts alone costing hundreds of millions each year.”

The 2026 Forum, scheduled for July in Cairns, will further explore strategies to optimise fitout costs, offering airports and retailers practical tools to improve efficiency and enhance returns on investment.

Access the full study details and learn how WT and Mercurius are shaping airport retail fitouts across the Pacific by reading the complete story.