Pulse Global Survey: Spending Habits at the Airport

The Global Pulse Passenger Survey on spending habits at the airport was conducted with 1500 consumers across the globe. The findings reveal the important drivers of passenger satisfaction and spend.

The infographic above reveals some of the key findings and below are some of our key insights on the findings. You can download the full report using the button at the end of the page.

Create Comfortable and Commercialised Dwell

• With passengers primarily seeking a comfortable place to relax, airport operators need to create more innovative common seating arrangements that accommodate a variety of uses, such as watching personal content on screens, working on the move, resting, and socialising with friends and family
• There are clear opportunities to commercialise the comfort, by creating larger and more creative seating arrangements in F&B outlets, as well as exploring sponsorship opportunities in common-access areas, and developing larger common access paid-for loungesIntegrate Facilities and Space Typologies
• With passengers seeking a range of end uses, from seating, to F&B, retail, and work spaces, retail design planning that integrates complimentary uses and creates distinct zones with a variety of space typologies, will help to drive cross-category footfall and spend
• Strong zonal identity supported by engaging architectural and environmental design will help to deliver clusters that can fulfil multiple functions in one space, and by effectively satisfying passenger comfort and hunger, it will then create opportunities for retail spendBalance the Brands
• The retail mix must satisfy the functional basics, whilst delivering new brand experiences and encouraging premium purchases, with income groups, nationalities and ages, seeking to purchase across multiple price points
• A clear hierarchy of needs in tenant mix planning, combined with a strong brand presence and clear store frontages will help passengers find the product that matches their needsBe Diligent with Digital
• Passengers demonstrate a high willingness to engage with digital pre-order and click & collect services across multiple categories, particularly those from the GCC, China, and India, but the service offered must be relevant and drive added value and utility in order to generate demand
• The high appetite for digital integration is creating more opportunities to streamline operations and drive unit-level and processing efficiencies, that can increase transaction volumes and speed of service, freeing up passengers’ time to spend on additional categoriesChampion Local and Blend with Global
• Local F&B brands are the most popular concepts for enhancing experience and the motivation to purchase, closely followed by local & authentic retail, with those from China and India also citing a strong appeal for global F&B brands, and UK and US passengers mid-price brands
• Local F&B and retail brands can play a fundamental role in delivering a distinct sense of place and unique identity of an airport, equally popular to visitors as residents, whilst the travelling consumer is still seeking the familiar comfort of global brands and high-street favourites