As global air travel rebounds and evolves, airports are reimagining their role—not just as transit hubs, but as vibrant commercial destinations. Non-aeronautical revenue, particularly from retail, is now a critical growth driver for airports worldwide. The challenge? Meeting the rising expectations of digitally savvy travelers while orchestrating seamless, personalized retail experiences that drive both engagement and revenue. At Publicis Sapient, we help airports and their partners unlock this potential through digital transformation.
Today’s travelers expect more than convenience; they seek engaging, frictionless experiences that anticipate their needs. Airports, with their unique blend of captive audiences and diverse retail offerings, are perfectly positioned to deliver. However, fragmented digital platforms, siloed data, and disconnected retailer systems often stand in the way of a unified passenger journey.
Publicis Sapient’s work with Heathrow Airport exemplifies how a holistic, mobile-first digital strategy can transform the airport retail experience. By consolidating multiple websites onto a single, scalable platform and redesigning the digital journey around the passenger, Heathrow created a seamless, unified resource for travelers—guiding them from pre-trip planning to in-terminal shopping and dining, all the way to boarding.
A key pillar of digital transformation in airport retail is the integration of diverse retailers into a single, cohesive digital ecosystem. This approach enables:
This model, proven in other retail environments, empowers airports to operate as digital marketplaces—driving incremental sales, increasing store footfall, and forging stronger partnerships with retail brands.
Personalization is the engine of modern retail success. By consolidating and analyzing data from across the passenger journey—flight details, loyalty profiles, browsing behavior, and purchase history—airports can deliver:
For example, Publicis Sapient’s work with leading travel and hospitality brands has shown that data-driven personalization can significantly increase conversion rates, average order value, and customer loyalty. At Heathrow, these strategies contributed to a 29.2% increase in retail revenue and a 38.9% improvement in conversion rate year-over-year.
Speed and convenience are paramount for airport passengers, who are often pressed for time. Digital transformation enables frictionless transactions through:
These capabilities not only enhance the passenger experience but also unlock new revenue streams by capturing sales that might otherwise be lost to time constraints or lack of awareness.
The results of digital transformation in airport retail are compelling:
With deep expertise in travel, retail, and digital engineering, Publicis Sapient is uniquely positioned to help airports and their partners realize the full potential of digital retail transformation. Our end-to-end approach—spanning strategy, experience design, technology, and data—ensures that every solution is tailored to the unique needs of each airport and its ecosystem of retailers.
As the future of travel continues to unfold, airports that embrace digital transformation will not only unlock new revenue streams but also set a new standard for passenger experience—turning every journey into an opportunity for engagement, loyalty, and growth.
Ready to transform your airport retail experience? Connect with Publicis Sapient to start your journey.