If your idea of airport shopping is a sad assortment of souvenir mugs and inflatable pillows, think again. Travelers stuck with time to kill before a flight are finding it’s not a bad place to take care of that annual chore, the gift list. And this isn't just wishful thinking on the part of airport managers. Global airport sales are set to top $59 billion annually by 2019, up 72 percent from 2013, according to research firm Verdict Retail.
Why? Passengers’ “dwell time”—that’s airport speak for the time spent between clearing security and boarding the plane—is up sharply. Airlines are telling customers to show up two or three hours in advance of departure in case there’s a delay at security. But sometimes the opposite happens: You breeze through and are faced with some unexpected bonus time. The average dwell time is now around 60 minutes for those boarding longer flights, according to several airport organizations.
Of course, most of us would prefer not to wait until we’re the captive audience of some tired chain stores to buy that all-important gift. Airport managers say efforts to improve retail offerings are paying off, and the results are compelling: A recent study by J.D. Power reveals that airport consumers ranked high in categories like “reasonable prices” and “variety of shops,” which rang up twice as much in sales per passenger—more than $40 per person—than the worst-scoring facilities.
As a result, airport chains are expanding their inventory in time for the holidays. Brookstone, whose travel-related merchandise is already in 42 domestic airports, recently opened a new line of shops at terminals called Carry On, where shelves are stocked not just with inflatable pillows and headphones but apparel, footwear, and accessories as well. Among the offerings: travel clothing by Ex Officio, which remains wrinkle-free no matter what abuse it takes in your suitcase.
“We’re aiming for more of a boutique feel,” says Paul Donovan, creative director of the company. “It’s quite different from our typical airport stores.” More outlets will open in the coming year, he says. The first location debuted in Salt Lake City airport earlier this year and a second just opened at Detroit Metro Airport.
What are some of the better airport buys? Here are some of the top-selling items based on data from OTG, which manages concessions at 11 major U.S. airports, including Houston, New York, and Philadelphia.
Luggage: It seems counterintuitive—don’t most of us show up at the airport with luggage in tow? But wheelies and other satchels are steady airside sellers, apparently. “Maybe they have a broken or damaged bag and they want it replaced,” says Brookstone’s Donovan, who noted that airports are encouraging the trend by offering to repack the new bag, or ship it to your home, which is especially useful if you’re buying it as a gift for someone else.
Cosmetics and beauty items: There are plenty of brand names at duty-free shops, of course, but for domestic fliers, the airport spas that are proliferating—BeRelax, XpresSpa—have a range of branded lotions and other beauty products. Don’t overlook the ubiquitous Cibo Express locations, which stock gift items like the Grown Alchemist Amenity Kit.
Local finds: Many airports increasingly offer outposts of regional favorites. Denver Airport, for example, has Mosaic, a New Mexico-based retailer that stocks jewelry, pottery, and other gift items. San Francisco Airport features local merchandise at a California Lifestyle shop that sells wine from Napa Valley and gourmet food, as well as an outlet of 100% Pure, the Silicon Valley-based organic cosmetics line.
Holiday items and stocking stuffers: Non-fragile ornaments—ones from Chocolate Works are especially popular, says OTG—are regular buys, as are other smaller items like scented candles or Moleskin pocket notebooks.
Wine and other spirits, of course, are a great gift to buy at airports, since you can't carry full-size bottles through security. But outside of duty-free shops for international fliers, it's not that easy to buy a decent bottle of wine at U.S. terminals (in fact, a retail shop at the Vino Volo wine bar at JFK's Terminal 8 has been closed, a manager told Traveler). But at JetBlue's T5, an IS Duty-Free shop selling scotch and other hard liquor, is open to all passengers, no matter where they are flying, a carrier spokesperson confirmed. Some of Vino Volo's other airport locations continue to double as wine stores—the chain's outlet at Washington Dulles Airport has what a salesperson described as a "large" retail component, which is currently offering 20 percent off of gift boxes of three bottles or more.
Though domestic terminals will never approach, say, a London Heathrow or a Dubai International Airport for the sheer volume and variety—especially in those vast duty-free emporia that are exclusively for the use of international travelers—U.S. facilities can offer their own advantages. Many now follow the lead of Pittsburgh Airport, which more than a decade ago set out to transform itself into a shopper’s mecca with a promise to adhere to “street-pricing,” or charging no more than you’d expect to pay in a regular retail store. Another benefit: The gifts you pack will stay safe from snooping screeners. “Since TSA advises not to wrap gifts before you go through airport security screening, why not buy your gifts after going through airport screening?" suggests Eric Brinker, vice president of experience at OTG.
Or even from the airline itself: At Newark Airport, United gives shoppers the option to buy merchandise with miles instead of cash at its pop-up Miles Store in Terminal C. That may make sense if you want to burn miles that might otherwise go unused, but beware of the exchange rate: The Points Guy reviewed a similar pop-up last year, and concluded that it might make more sense to hold onto the points and actually use them for travel.