Delicious Looking

Footwear Company Ante Up at the Airport Shops

LOS ANGELES – When the airport started off retail a few years ago, brands considered the business as a way to kill a few extra bucks snatch Travelers with time.

But now there is a soaring business.

Airport retail generated $ 34000000000 Sales in 2007, from $ 29 billion 2006th Luxury goods accounted for 35.5 percent of those sales, up 16.6 percent over 2006, according to research service Generation Data Bank. Therefore, Bally, Prada, Ferragamo and Chloé, among others, all go along for the ride.

"Airport retail is growing very rapidly, and the picture changes too, "said Marco Franchini, CEO of Bally, including 48 outlets in locations from Shanghai Airport to Amsterdam by the end of the year will have." The Market is a main category, such as relocation of tobacco, alcohol and cosmetics, a brand-oriented shopping experience with personalized full of boutiques and shop-in-shop corners. "

To cash, are trademarks funneling a piece of their money in overseas airports. Splashy new terminal opened earlier this year in London and Beijing.

"Airports a great place for retailers," said Neil Clifford, CEO of Kurt Geiger, the six airport shops in the UK and March has bowed a Kurt Geiger boutique in Heathrow Terminal 5, save, add neighbors such as Prada, with its first airport, and Christian Dior. "You You have money, you're going on holiday and you have to spare time. You can buy an iPod or a Mont Blanc pen or a Hugo Boss shirt. "

Or a pair of Shoes. "We play with the traffic, play with the mixture from morning to night, depending on the [aircraft] target," said Clifford, of the different versions offered. "If there is an Eastern flight in the morning, we set the upper end to himself. If it can be European or domestic evening we increasingly fashionable and fast Way to have more women. "Handbags make up about 25-30 percent of the selection, with brands like Marc Jacobs, Tory Burch and Vivienne Westwood.

Nevertheless beat some signs that retail airport could lose altitude. Higher oil prices make tickets more expensive, whereas, the uptick in food and gas prices consumers before the break spending on expensive vacations.

But experts say that people travel anyway, even if they fly less.

The question for Airport retailers, is whether the elevated hunt, "commercially important passengers" – as to label the airlines – or try to import an additional squeeze dollar or two from the ordinary traveler. So far, luxury names are betting, that the rising world population of high-spending travelers is. It's only a matter of figuring the countries from which they will then fly in and out.

High Road to China

A growing area of travel is China. Opened in February, Beijing Capital International the world's largest airport terminal, Terminal 3, partly in preparation for this month's Olympic Games.

Meanwhile, reported Hong Kong International Airport 20 percent retail sales growth in the first four months of 2008, and 25 percent growth for luxury retailers. It is currently soliciting offers from tenants for the planned East Hall Luxury Brand Boutique Boulevard.

In 2007 in China, international passenger traffic was up by 17 percent to 38.3 million passengers. But domestic Chinese air travel dwarfs that to 349 million. And this group, though not as free-spending, such as international travelers, many appeal to. What's more, the wealth the middle of China as the world's fastest growing.

"[Beijing Terminal 3 is the most luxurious domestic mix, that I am somewhere in the world, with Brands such as Omega, which is not normal in the domestic market to see], "said Robbie Gill, architect and director of the Design Solution, a London company that plans and projects Airport retail. "The Chinese are a huge market. These brands have to work hard to make the preferred brand. You use transactions in domestic terminals as a 3-D advertising. "

Bally has spots in the international and domestic terminals Beijing. "Our airport locations serve as virtual" ambassador "for the brand, "says Franchini." Our strategy is to open boutiques. In the case where the Airport Shopping Area do not allow full-size stores, please a personalized shop-in-shop or in a corner. "

Laurence Franklin, CEO of Tumi luggage, handbag and accessory chain, agreed that a particular transaction a goal. Tumi's more than 120 points of sale in airports worldwide, over 20 are standalone or side-by-side stores. "Our strategy is to our airport Presence to aggressively expand, but with an emphasis on quality – that is fully branded, standalone stores – versus quantity, "he said." Airport Development is of key importance not only for our global retail strategy, but is an important part of our overall strategy, brand strategy for the coming years. "

Passage to India

For many brands, India is at the top of the wish list, in part because their elites are used in consumer basket in airports. "India own domestic middle class is growing at a phenomenal speed, but caught up the quality and quantity of retail downtown before, "said Gill. "The Indians had to travel to buy it."

So now the market is coming to India. Gill retail firm has plans for three new terminals the airports in Delhi and Mumbai, an opening in December, and the other in 2010. "It is a great luxury component," he said.

A Change in ownership of the airport is also to promote commerce in India, said Gill. "Private companies bought the two airports, so that the whole would face the Indian airport will be transformed. "But he does not want to turn it into a luxurious paradise." We will design an area devoted to craft have with the Indian retail sector. It will be different, what you see in the rest of the world. You will see the richness of a culture through its retailers, "said he. "[The luxury concentration] is not a problem for the sale, but it could be in the future, because if you replicate the same name worldwide, it has no Sense of difference.

"Not everyone can afford Gucci continued to run, and drop $ 2,000 for a handbag," Gill. "Seventy percent of people the airports you visit only one newspaper and a cup of coffee purchase. "

Other up-and-coming including airport retail countries Russia, where the ARI management company won the contract for the retail sale Terminal 3, opening in October at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport.

At Singapore Changi Airport, opened its first store Chloé in this country, May 2007, the choice of the airport about a place in the city. Gill Company is designed Changi Valiram luxury island, the shops for Bottega Veneta, Fendi, Cartier and Bulgari stores.

Charles de Gaulle Terminal T2E opened in March in Paris with the first Yves Saint Laurent airport shop.

In England, Clifford excited about the new store at Heathrow airport. "We have been pleasantly surprised," he said. "We are seeing relatively single-digit growth – not 10 to 20 percent – but T5 is a new store and a new one for us. London is a pretty cool international destination. We have benefited from this. "

For more information, please VISIT http://www.ishoesclub.com/news/show.php?itemid=2456

About the Author

DO BEST:www.ishoesclub.com

Keynote Remarks: Quest for Excellence 2009