Pitch the product, not a terminal lease
You do not need a terminal lease to make a terminal sale.
The opportunity
The council's 26 August launch announcement named Maleny Chocolates and Nutworks in the airport's Relay range. Lagardère AWPL, the appointed retail and food operator, also plans a Discover Sunshine Coast concept showcasing regional producers. That is a supplier route worth asking about without taking on an airport shop of your own. It is not confirmation that your product category has room today.
New venues expected to be operating by late 2027.
The signal
This is a staged redevelopment, not one opening-day deadline. Council reported the new arrivals precinct on 8 October as part of the $170 million terminal project. The operator's published retail programme runs through late 2027. Its website lists a Partnerships route for stockist, brand and other partnership enquiries, separate from customer service.
Our read: if you make a product a traveller can take home, ask whether it fits the operator's buying plan before spending on a new range. A published enquiry route is not an open tender, a vacant shelf or a promise of a reply.
The play
- Ask the buyer question first. Use the Partnerships link under Let's Talk at lagardereawpl.com/en/. Say you are a Sunshine Coast producer asking about Relay or Discover Sunshine Coast. Ask who handles the category, whether new suppliers are being considered and when the next range review happens. The general customer-service inbox is not a verified buying contact.
- Send one product, not your life story. Prepare a single-page sheet for one suitable item: wholesale price, suggested retail price, pack and carton size, barcode, shelf life, ingredients and allergens where relevant, lead time and a clear product photo. Explain what makes it local. Ask which specifications the buyer actually requires before commissioning new packaging.
- Price the trip to the shelf. Put production, packaging, delivery, samples and potential unsold stock on separate lines. Ask about payment terms, promotions, returns, storage and any listing costs. Calculate what you keep per unit after those terms; no published margin benchmark makes this deal safe by itself.
- Show the repeat order you can fulfil. State your normal output and delivery frequency, then the extra volume you could reliably supply. Ask whether supply would be direct or through a distributor. A small repeatable order is a better test than equipment bought against a verbal expression of interest.
- Make the first yes a small one. Propose a limited trial only if the buyer is interested, with written quantities, price and a review date. Until terms and an order are agreed, treat the airport as a prospect, not revenue in your forecast.
The catch
The operator is already appointed. We found no verified open product call, named category buyer, unfilled range or purchasing deadline. Current stock availability, accepted categories, listing terms, order sizes and payment timing remain [NEEDS DATA]. Late 2027 is an announced rollout horizon, not a deadline for supplier pitches. An airport full of passengers still does not tell you how many will buy your product.
What history says
Gold Coast, 2016: two years before the Commonwealth Games, GOLDOC had already awarded 1,927 contracts and sponsorships. The official update put 89 percent with Gold Coast or Queensland businesses. The lesson is timing, not a promise of the same result: get into the buying conversation while plans are being delivered, rather than waiting for the last opening ribbon.