Making Time Fly With A Little Retail Therapy
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Airlines and airports benefit from sales to passengers soothed by some light shopping therapy.
In-flight shopping has a measurable feel-good factor, improving passengers’ overall satisfaction with the journey up to 78 percent, as revealed by last year’s APEX passenger satisfaction survey.
According to a recent Stanford study, the joy of shopping is contagious. Professor Pedro M. Gardete, found that we are 30 percent more likely to buy in flight after watching those near us make a purchase. “We know now people are prone to social influence. I’ve documented the features that are necessary for value to exist for companies, but how do they take advantage of that?” he asks.
Gardete suggests airlines reward passengers who have made in-flight purchases with vouchers before their next flight, or immediately after they make a purchase.
Korean Air experimented with an attractive boutique onboard its A380.
But, if Gardete is right about social influence and shopping, then sales through in-flight entertainment, as implemented by JAL, Virgin America and Norwegian could prove more profitable.
GuestLogix values the market of in-flight sales at $3 billion, with approximately 67 percent of those sales distributed between cosmetics, jewelry and watches, alcohol and cigarettes.
The shopping buzz is also high on the ground. Copenhagen Airport encourages travelers to shop for that someone special, no matter the rush. Its energetic TAX FREE Hero takes on a mission impossible to clear the terminal, pick-up a gift for his girlfriend and reach his gate in a matter of minutes.
For those without the spare energy to jump through hoops for the right present, the airport also offers a personal shopper and Pick Up On Return service. Or, for the shopaholic who wants to surprise someone taking a flight, KLM’s Wannagives offers mutual Facebook or LinkedIn contacts the chance to purchase a gift – ranging from a virtual kiss to a Fromenteel Globetrotter GMT watch – that will be delivered in flight.
Personal service boost sales in the skies too, suggests Airline Retail, which encourages airlines to develop training programs for crew to get better at the art of the sale in-flight.