The retail industry is changing, and so are consumers, says Marshal Cohen, yesterday’s Opening Session speaker at ACI-NA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition. As chief industry analyst, NPD Group, Inc., Cohen keeps his finger on the retail industry pulse and spoke to ACI-NA members about consumer behavior and how airports can capitalize on it. 

Amazon is a ‘prime’ example of how the retail landscape is shifting. This coming holiday season, for instance, the online giant is expected to outsell all the other mass merchants combined. An interesting statistic, especially when you note that many people pay to use Amazon’s store. The landscape is changing, indeed.

And airport retail needs to keep up, according to Cohen, and one way to do so is by taking an omnipresent approach. This involves executing a full customer experience using online tools in concert with in-store service and post-purchase follow-up. In addition, airports should consider converting storefronts into showcases, which display product but don’t stock product. Instead, the retailer directly ships the purchase to the consumer’s destination of choice. ‘Cash and carry’ becomes ‘cash and tomorrow.’ 

Cohen provided numerous statistics about the spending power of the various generations, but more importantly he noted that retailers should not focus on the habits of a specific age group but more by life stages. Society, he says, is shifting away from a ‘touch and feel’ experience to one more consistent with a lifestyle.

Airports have the ability to reach more people than any other industry. It’s a great time to capitalize on that and create unique retail opportunities geared toward the current consumer mindset. 

Solutions Showcase: Airside Mobile 

 

Airports interested in expediting passenger entry into the U.S. from Canada may want to consider Mobile Passport, an app developed by Airside Mobile in partnership with ACI-NA. At yesterday’s Solutions Showcase, airport professionals got a quick rundown of how the app works and the best ways to market it to travelers.

 

The process is simple. Travelers download the free app from the iTunes store (available for both Apple and Android) and set up their profiles. All information is encrypted and only shared with the Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Prior to traveling, passengers complete the necessary form (which consists of four questions), and upon landing, they submit their data to the CBP. Within a matter of seconds, they receive a bar-coded receipt resembling a boarding pass that allows them to go through a dedicated line.

 

Airports considering Mobile Passport should be sure they have adequate wi-fi coverage so passengers without data plans aren’t left holding their luggage. 

 Regulatory Reform Panel Explores Trans-Border Issues

Always a favorite among attendees, Tuesday's airport regulatory reform education session on the last day of the conference was well attended and moderated by Lew Bleiweis of the Greater Asheville Regional Airport Authority. Lew oversaw an informative and wide-ranging discussion that featured panelists Eduardo Angeles and Curtis Holsclaw of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Canadian Airports Council president Daniel-Robert Gooch. The three panelists spoke to a number of hot topics impacting the North American airport regulatory environment including FAA reauthorization, aircraft noise, security screening, infrastructure funding, air traffic control and runway incursions. Audience members were clearly engaged and several added to the discussion with carefully considered questions that allowed the panelists to address further some of these common issues-issues that exist across the U.S. and Canadian airport regulatory environment. One topic of particular interest was the question of privatizing air traffic control in the United States. This particular issue will continue to garner attention from policy makers and legislators in the near future and would make a great session topic for next year's conference in Montreal.