Press Release

Baja’s Retail Expansion in the San Ysidro Area

BAJA DUTY FREE, Fairn & Swanson’s retail division is currently constructing their new retail store at the Las Americas shopping center in San Ysidro, California.  The center is located adjacent to the U.S./Mexico border crossing between San Diego and Tijuana and the store is expected to open in June 2002.

The Las Americas mall is a $260 million multi-cultural retail, entertainment and dining development.  The construction on the project is moving forward in three phases of development.  The shops constructed in the first phase at Las Americas opened in November 2001 and encompass 370,000 square feet of open-air retail and restaurant space designed to create an urban village atmosphere.  The next phase, set to open in late 2002, includes a 25,000 square foot public library/cultural center.  The final phase will involve the construction of a suspension bridge connecting the mall to downtown Tijuana, Mexico and will expand the Port of Entry facility. 

Baja Duty Free’s 10,000 sq. ft. store will be the only duty-free retail store in the entire 66-acre shopping center.  This is an ideal location for Baja Duty Free, and will provide them a store, which will capture the attention and business of tourists, families, and retail shoppers who come to the Las Americas mall for entertainment, dining and shopping.

Baja Duty Free’s main objective is to promote and build customer driven brands by adding special features to the store.  Space and resources will be allocated for vendor promotions, demonstrations, special events and cosmetic makeovers.  “The opening of this new store gives Baja the opportunity to introduce non-traditional duty free products as well as expand lines in their existing traditional products”, according to Martha Guerra, Baja Duty Free’s Retail Buyer for the southern border. “There is a demand for these products and now we will have the platform to provide them.”

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