Having just arrived back in New Jersey after a flight from Southern California, I can attest to the truth of an observation in today's Daily Dog newsletter: retail business at the airport seems to be booming. Where you used to be lucky to find a fast food joint or two along with the ubiquitous newsstands, a surprising number of airports now boast upscale, sophisticated shopping malls - and they appear to be paying off for the owners, too: the article quotes FAA figures showing sales increased last year to 6.5 billion dollars.
As I fly Continental a lot out of Newark, I can tell you that in Continental's terminal C, you can shop at a couple of Brookstone locations, Borders Books, Johnston & Murphy Shoes, a Metropolitan Museum of Art store, L'Occitaine, LaCoste, and Swatch, among many many others. All of these are along the flight concourses, past security - meaning they're only there for passengers (and crew) who clear security.
Why? Well, maybe because flight delays are getting more common, and more people seem willing to browse the upscale shops and spend money. Clever advertising undoubtedly pays off, too, and delayed passengers are being targeted by sophisticated advertising and good store displays. It's an interesting sidelight on how we adapt to these delays which have become so much a part of the travel experience.
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