cannes_2024_WEDNESDAY_ISSUE

Retailing becoming more digital and technological Creating a more seamless and data-driven retail strategy Digital touchpoints impacting consumers’ ability to plan shopping T he Reimagining Travel Retail Workshop featured an update from Airports Council International (ACI)’s specialist committee on Airport Non-Aeronautical Revenues and Activities (ANARA). Andrew Ford, Managing Partner, Paccaya Resources Ltd, and Chairman, ANARA ACI World, shared three key messages: • “Travel retail changed post-Covid and during the revenge travel period and is now dramatically further changing particularly in Asia. Not just passenger profiles, but also the structure of the travel retail industry.” • “Apart from changing customer desires, retailing is becoming more digital and technological in a multitude of ways.” • “ANARA is at the forefront of ACI World’s development of initiatives in the areas of non-aeronautical businesses.” The travel retail landscape is evolving, with the passenger experience at the centre of this transformation. “Millennials and Gen Z travellers increasingly demand seamless, personalised experiences at airports,” Ford explained. “Digital tools like AI-powered self- ordering systems, mobile apps, and virtual queuing enhance convenience, reduce wait times, and give passengers greater control over their journey. These innovations also enable retailers to optimise operations through data-driven insights.” Andrew Ford, Managing Partner, Paccaya Resources Ltd, and Chairman, ANARA ACI World: “To thrive, travel retail stakeholders must prioritise enhancing the passenger experience, embracing digitalisation, and offering sustainable, personalised services, including local and street food options.” L ast year saw the introduction of the ‘Travel Retail OptimizationWhite Paper’, focusing on strategies formaximising retail opportunities within the airport ecosystem. “Building on that foundation, this year, our work has delved deeper into understanding passenger behaviour and howairports can leverage this knowledge to enhance the travel retail experience,” said Isabel Zarza, CEO Southern Europe, Avolta, and Retail Lead, Airport Non-Aeronautical Revenues and Activities Committee, Airports Council International World (ANARAACI World). “We are currently preparing a newdocument with the collaboration of Outsight that shows the benefits of a tool that tracks passenger movements within airports, combining digital solutions with the physical environment to create amore seamless and data-driven retail strategy. This tool integrates advanced passenger tracking technologies with digital insights to help retailers and airports better understand foot traffic patterns, shopping behaviours, and peak engagement times. This, in turn, enables stakeholders to offermore tailored and efficient services.” By enhancing the ability to track and analyse passengers’ in-airport activities, the aim is to foster stronger collaborations between airports and retailers. “This tool will help stakeholders optimise space allocation, product placements, and promotional efforts, all while ensuring a more engaging experience for travellers,” Zarza added. Isabel Zarza, CEO Southern Europe, Avolta, and Retail Lead, Airport Non-Aeronautical Revenues and Activities Committee, Airports Council International World (ANARA ACI World): “We are currently preparing a new document with the collaboration of Outsight that shows the benefits of a tool that tracks passenger movements within airports, combining digital solutions with the physical environment to create a more seamless and data-driven retail strategy.” Ian Cesa, President, Horizon Consumer Science, shared how digital touchpoints are impacting consumers more in terms of their ability to plan their shopping than in their desire to do everything digitally. W hen we look back on the impact of the Covid pandemic, Ian Cesa, President, Horizon Consumer Science, believes we will view it as a completely life-changing event. “We are already seeing this in the way that travellers are responding,” he shared. “The shock of being restricted from international travel has made people realise that it is something that we shouldn’t take for granted, as it might be taken away from us again, at any moment. As a result, international travellers are using shopping less as a way to acquire the latest and greatest products from the world’s most fashionable brands and more as a way to explore and understand the cultures they are visiting.” Digital touchpoints are impacting consumers more in terms of their ability to plan their shopping. “We see this in the dramatic rise in the proportion of international travellers deciding on what they will buy before they leave home,” said Cesa. “International travellers still want the experience of shopping in the places they visit. The big change is that they are able to research where to shop in detail before they go, and they are making up their minds more before they go.” Wednesday 2 Oc tobe r 2024 5 T F W A D A I L Y