Airports and airport retailers may be missing out on avenues for revenue generation as travellers are regularly unable to locate airport retail outlets for making last-minute purchases, says a recent study on passenger behaviour, conducted in the US, UK, France and Germany.
Around 23 percent of travellers surveyed in Germany, 30 percent in France, 34 percent in UK, and 35 percent in the US have reported being unable to locate shops, restaurants and other retail outlets at airports during the time they spend there. The findings are according to research conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, for NCR Corporation, a company offering mobile solutions for airlines and airport self-services.
Around 1.5 billion people travel by air every year, and travellers’ inability to locate retail outlets may represent a colossal amount of lost revenue for airport retailers, restaurants and service providers. Around 53 percent of UK passengers agreed that a mobile alert reminding them to proceed for boarding would allow them to search and shop at the airports in a more relaxed manner.
Tyler Craig, the vice president and general manager of NCR Travel, said, ‘This survey highlights the vast untapped potential airports still have to serve travellers who have the time and inclination to shop. Airports today get nearly 50 percent of their revenue from non-aviation sources. By employing some of the technologies used by today’s retailers such as mobile marketing and interactive, digital signage, airports can more effectively communicate with and make offers to travellers, boosting revenue while making their airports more welcoming, entertaining and user-friendly.’
The survey also showed that around 21 percent of travellers in the US, 18 percent in France, 15 percent in Germany and 12 percent in the UK have never shopped for anything at the airports; while 65 percent have purchased books, newspapers or magazines.
