The retail revolution is coming to airports as automation allows better targeting of passengers

Airport retail is a highly lucrative source of revenue for many airports, with sales per square metre often three to four times higher than on the high street or shopping centres. Many brands even have their own independent airport retail strategy in order to capitalise on the airport's monopoly access to a captive audience of millions of travellers with high disposable incomes.

Yet, airports and their retail brands who are finding that the physical asset is exhausted need to be more innovative in order to get more value out of the customer, especially with operational/technological improvements during the check-in/screening stage reducing dwell times and potentially disrupting the very foundation which underpins airport retail.

But many questions remain…

• What are the best practice strategies to encourage retail spending in an automated passenger processing environment?
• What role can brands play in attracting customers to airport retail outlets?
• How can you best make use of rich traveller data to engage with passengers (spenders) - adopting an omni-channel mindset, from pre flight planning to car parking to the airside retail offering?
• How do airport retailers currently target and profile passengers?
• Does onboard wifi pose a threat to airside retail sales?
• Are airports ready for the payment platforms of the future - from cash to plastic to mobile payments?

This will be one of the topic areas discussed at the forthcoming CAPA- Centre for Aviation Global Airport Leader's Forum that takes place in Dubai, UAE on 07-May-2018.

Understanding aviation markets is CAPA's great strength and passion and this year's agenda includes a variety of topics sure to generate interest. The retail revolution is coming to airports as automation allows better targeting of passengers will be the opening panel session at the Dubai forum and will take place on the morning of 07-May-2018.

The high-level aviation event is a forum for debate and discussion of strategic issues facing the aviation industry and it is attracting delegate interest from across the globe.

It will bring together global airport leaders to discuss key strategic issues and challenges facing airports as new technologies come online and tougher regulations create downward pressure on traditional revenue streams. The forum will aso explore how airports can adapt their business models, implement smart innovations and embrace collaborative partnerships with airlines to adapt and flourish in the digital age.

Covering the global strategic challenges and opportunities facing airport operators, regulators and airport industry suppliers, this is clearly a forum you don't want to miss!