Travel retail landmarks

1989-1993

Commercial expansion of terminals

The acceleration in airport retailing in the 1990s created a major challenge – where would the space for the shops come from? Airports had always been designed through the lens of aeronautical functions, not for commercial operations and in-terminal experiences for the passenger.

For innovative BAA, the answer lay in a new approach to the planning of its space, including a repositioning of non-key operational functions away from passenger areas and the changing of landside/airside boundaries.

As leisure traffic growth continued, so too did airports’ appetite for commercial revenue – and with it the pressure on terminal space. BAA’s expansion of the Gatwick North Terminal in 1989 was a landmark project focused on commercial development, rather than aeronautical needs. This pioneering project attracted a flood of retailers and brands wanting to fill the new space, setting a strategy that airports worldwide would follow to this day, including Nice Côte d’Azur, Sydney and Budapest airports.

1994-1998

Walkthrough duty free shops

In its first decade as a privatised operator, BAA pioneered another industry first when in 1995 it introduced the world’s first truly walkthrough duty free shop in Heathrow’s long-haul terminal (T3).

Deeply involved in the project, TDS Founder and Managing Director Robbie Gill explains how the walkthrough concept initially encountered turbulence: “The walkthrough plan certainly met with a mixed reception. For a number of years there was considerable resistance, especially from the operational side of airport management. Specifically, there were concerns about passengers getting ‘lost’ in the shops, missing planes, and the perceived additional walking distances.

“However, as more duty free shops across the world adopted similar formats, passengers readily adjusted to the new pathways and the commercial benefits became clear. Walkthroughs deliver 100% shoppers to the retail offer, giving brands a greater exposure.

“We’ve since planned dozens of walkthroughs at airports globally and it’s a concept that can be adapted to almost any airport, though some terminal layouts do require careful planning and re-siting of operational areas to make it fully effective. The blend of increasingly sophisticated targeting of shoppers and more expressive design has made the walkthrough route the backbone of the passenger/shopper experience with a myriad of experiential encounters presented along the passenger route.”