The Paradies Shops Awarded New Contract at Pensacola Regional Airport

ATLANTA, Jan. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Atlanta-based The Paradies Shops and Pensacola-based Varona Enterprises of Florida D/B/A Varona-Paradies, LLC has been awarded a new 10-year contract at Pensacola Regional Airport (PNS). Through this contract, Varona-Paradies will introduce concepts and merchandise that combine universally recognized brands with local favorites to offer travelers a complete retail experience at PNS.

"The Paradies Shops is honored to be selected to operate the retail program at Pensacola Regional Airport, and we look forward to growing our relationship with the airport in the years to come," said President and CEO Gregg Paradies. "The city of Pensacola has a vibrant and dynamic culture, and we will celebrate this culture through our store designs, merchandise and first class service programs."

Robert de Varona, president of Varona Enterprises of Florida, said "Varona Enterprises is delighted to be in partnership with The Paradies Shops and looks forward to a mutually beneficial relationship. The Paradies team was a pleasure to work with throughout the bidding and approval process. We are excited about the benefits this alliance will bring to our employees, our customers and Pensacola Regional Airport."

Celebrating the beautiful beaches of Pensacola, the Beaches TravelMart will provide the traveling public with an extensive assortment of news, magazines, books, convenience items, snacks and apparel for children and adults -- all in an inspired design that leaves no doubt in the customer's mind they are in sunny Pensacola. The Beaches TravelMart will additionally feature Paradies' highly regarded and much sought after Read & Return Program.

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Explore! Pensacola pays tribute to the rich history Pensacola is known for in a setting that embraces several city icons, including Seville Square, Historic Pensacola Village, pristine beaches and naval aviation. Along with an expanded local and regional merchandise selection, Explore! Pensacola is highlighted by apparel and accessories from nationally-recognized favorites, including the PGA TOUR and Vera Bradley.

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Displaying the brightly-colored peacock logo above the storefront, CNBC Pensacola presents an innovative award-winning design alternative to traditional newsstands, airing the CNBC business day programming in the stores and offering an expansive range of popular newsstand items that include books, magazines and snacks. Travelers will also enjoy an online station, providing the opportunity to check stocks and real-time financial information. CNBC Pensacola also features two exclusive Paradies programs: Press Express and Read & Return.

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Named Best Airport Retailer for the past 12 consecutive years by Airport Revenue News, The Paradies Shops was established in 1960. A family-owned business, The Paradies Shops operates over 500 stores in 64 airports across the United States and Canada. With extensive experience in operating both local and national brands, to include CNBC News, PGA TOUR Shops, Brooks Brothers, Brighton Collectibles, Harley-Davidson, and The New York Times Bookstores, The Paradies Shops maintains a substantial presence as one of the largest airport retailers. Additionally, The Paradies Shops operates several hotel properties and the retail program for the Georgia Aquarium, the world's largest aquarium, located in Atlanta. For more information, please visit http://www.theparadiesshops.com.

Varona Enterprises of Florida was founded in 1972 by Robert de Varona. Successfully operating airport concessions since that time, Varona Enterprises' first airport program was at Stapleton International Airport in Denver, the first minority-owned airport concession in the nation. Since that time, the company has operated concessions in Pensacola, Dallas-Ft. Worth, St. Louis, and Orlando. With a commitment to offering high quality products at reasonable prices, Varona Enterprises of Florida provides customers with the best of the best in merchandise assortment for the best value.