Aelia Group set a new sales record in 2007, buoyed by strong performances across its store network. Total group turnover reached ?544m, representing growth of 15% compared with the previous year. Sales that year were already 10% ahead of the total posted in 2005.

Highlights of the year included the inauguration of the S3 satellite "the Galerie Parisienne" at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, along with the completion of France's biggest travel-retail outlet at Marseille Provence. The year also marked Aelia's entry into the Polish market at Krakow John Paul II airport. Société de Distribution Aéroportuaire (SDA), Aelia's 50:50 joint venture with Aéroports de Paris that operates stores in Paris CDG and Paris Orly, posted significant growth, with sales up 18% on a pro forma basis. The performance was boosted by strong traffic numbers, in addition to the refurbishment and expansion of stores in key terminals.

Aelia chairman and CEO Jean-Baptiste Morin said: "We're delighted with the rate of growth posted by Aelia in 2007, which was nonetheless a challenging period for the industry as a whole. The obvious highlights of the year included the inaugurations in Paris CDG S3, Marseille-Provence and Krakow, along with the completion of important projects in Lyon and CDG terminal three. Our growth was strong in all categories, including the core categories of liquor, tobacco and fragrances as well as fashion, accessories and electronics. We also accomplished a lot of things behind the scenes, notably the full replacement of our cash-till system, which went very smoothly, and continued improvements to our staff training programme, which is central to our future as a group. For these and many other reasons, we have every cause to be positive about the future. We have many key projects for 2008 : the ambitious refurbishment of the commercial areas at Paris Orly airport and the opening of Aelia's 1,200sq m multistore in Warsaw Frederic Chopin terminal two."