Part II: The Transformative Pre-Ignition Period For Airport Dining, Retail, And Experiences

The title in no way should convey that the order of these posts suggests a timeline of when each innovation is to take place. Evolution is perpetual and inevitable. 

This is the continuation of the Pre-Ignition series that began as a means to observe the ‘next’ in airport dining, retail and experiences in a post-Coronavirus world. As all industries look to navigate their way through this unprecedented crisis, I remain optimistic of the travel industry’s survival.

One of the ultimate drivers for the revival of air travel is to assuage the fears of consumers. We all know what cleanliness is next to. For airports and airport businesses, it is of paramount importance if we are to accelerate the return of air travel. With that in mind, the consumer-facing landscape of airport dining, retail, and experiences will continue to change.

UNMANNED AND AUTOMATED

No, not vending machines. 

Unmanned, automated experiences such as coffee company Briggo and ramen machine Yo-Kai Express are just the tip of the iceberg. This is essentially an extension of the cashierless, frictionless experience, which I covered in my previous article.

In addition to speedy service, consistent execution and accessibility at virtually all hours, the ability to install these machines almost anywhere, and, sometimes requiring nothing more than electric, should be appealing. Much like my points on virtual restaurants in the first part of this series, these unmanned, automated experiences offer flexibility to boldly go where others could not. Their versatility truly minimizes the availability of real estate and the costs that come with developing it. Manned carts, kiosks and wall units that are often utilized in under-served or space-starved concourses hover around a similar footprint and essentially serve the same purpose. These experiences are the next step.

The footprint of some machines is as little as 40 square feet and their designs do turn heads. Smoothie machine Blendid and coffee maker Cafe X even add a bit of theater with robotic arms gliding about inside a self-contained unit preparing the beverages before customers. Emphasis on the theater. Overall, is it out of the realm of possibility that one day there could be a food court-sized space filled with nothing but machines pumping out food, beverage and retail? Ok, that might be going to the extreme and is highly unlikely but you could see more of these popping up. In August 2019 Briggo and restaurateur SSP America forged an exclusive partnership to open 25 of the coffee units in airports. At least pre-Coronavirus the industry saw the value. In the post-Coronavirus era, look for the movement to continue.

And if there is any worry about the handling of your food, can it get more sanitary than having it handled by a robot?

HEALTH AND WELLNESS

After we have all been reading, listening, and watching reports of how the Coronavirus has impacted so many people, health and wellness will become an even greater part of a commercial program. Vitamin and supplement sales have skyrocketed as consumers looked to boost their immune systems. And this is just one part of the health and wellness movement. The trend will continue after travel fully resumes and even after a vaccine is created.

From the disciplined health enthusiast to the average consumer worried about everyday life, vitamins, supplements, and other health aids will become part of a travel health checklist that includes wipes, masks, and hand sanitizer. Expect health convenience to be added to RFPs in some form whether as an in-line store, kiosk or as a dedicated section in a travel essentials concept. Picture a line of vitamin C, zinc, elderberry and other notable health boosters alongside typical drug store fare often offered on a limited scale in airports and hotel sundry shops. 

Yes, health and supplement retail have been tried before and a few are currently in place. A pharmacy exists in Toronto Pearson International Airport on the upper level of the domestic baggage hall. Air Essentials, a concept found in both Miami International Airport and Tampa International Airport, is currently much more travel essentials but still has much of its makeup focused on the drug store model where they carry an expanded line of basic medicines. Concepts like these can easily shift and expand their line from cure products to prevention products as travelers dictate the wellness demands. Perhaps this movement will lead to a renewed interest by national chains in the airport market. Insert thinking emoji here.

In addition to products for one’s physical health, there will also be and should be a focus on one’s mental and emotional well being. Per a 2012 Carnegie Mellon University study, “...the effects of psychological stress on the body's ability to regulate inflammation can promote the development and progression of disease.” Understanding that, look for instances throughout a terminal where there will be opportunities to relieve stress. San Francisco International Airport has been commended for its yoga room. Although on a different level, Pittsburgh International Airport has been lauded for building a sensory room to cater to autistic travelers. Stress relievers can follow environment design, such as an approach by some workplaces who have incorporated natural lighting, spacious seating and natural greenery. The incorporation of soothing design will be more than just establishing an airport’s sense of place. Design will be more functional than decorative.

As for products in terms of stress and anxiety relievers, cannabidiol, or more commonly known as CBD, will be revisited. Minute Suites, which provides travelers a place to rest and work, carries CBD items in their Hartsfied Jackson Atlanta International Airport location. From a business case, CBD is a $5 billion dollar business that almost a year ago was projected to exceed $20 billion by 2023. In April 2019 Consumer Reports conducted a survey and included its results in an article focusing on the applications and benefits. Among the many findings, 63% have found CBD to be effective in treating anxiety and stress. But with all those benefits, I do realize that the current challenge is the negative connotation behind CBD, which is likely rooted in what could be a foundational (mis)understanding of what it is and what it isn’t. It’s why I hosted a breakout session at the last Airport Experience Conference that focused on de-mystifying CBD with the help of Dr. Keith Aqua, a clinician, researcher and the chief medical officer for Mile High Labs. Enlightenment from continued education will result in a greater understanding and perhaps appreciation for the product. 

NON-FOOD, NON-RETAIL EXPERIENCES

Allow me to set this up.

Let’s face it. There are several shifts necessary for leisure travel to return in the short term: greater employment and greater transparency in sanitation procedures of common areas. The latter will carry over post-Coronavirus. 

For travelers to feel more comfortable, a level of comfort needs to be reached knowing that planes are clean and that passengers are not ill. It is not out of the realm of possibility that health screenings, much like at Heathrow, will take place in the near future as you cross security. Even Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly chimed in urging for mandatory health screenings at the TSA checkpoints. Recently, carrier Air Canada became the first airline in North America to require passengers to have their temperature checked prior to boarding. The sum of these initiatives, while extremely valuable in making everyone feel safe, will result in travelers arriving long before their scheduled flight in order to navigate through security and the new screening process. Additionally, carriers, like Delta and Southwest, will spend more time cleaning planes between connections. As a result, the time to turn a plane will increase after years of efficiency had reduced that time in order to get the bird back in the air. Suddenly there’s dwell time that can be captured.

With that dwell time come opportunities for non-food, non-retail services. In the previous section I spoke about health and wellness and how stress relief will be important. Spas have been a fixture in airports since Massage Bar and d_parture Spa opened in Seattle Tacoma International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport respectively over two decades ago. Travelers were introduced to a new airport amenity. This isn’t to say that there will be a spa on every concourse. But I could see smaller, more mobile or pop-up versions if a full, in-line unit is not necessary. But massages aren’t the only physical stress relievers or experiential options. 

Quarantining hasn’t just forced remote workers to become familiar and comfortable with Zoom, Google Hangouts, Skype, etc. It has also forced many to incorporate exercise or some form of wellness activity into their work from home routine. ROAM, a fitness company focused specifically on airports, has a gym located in Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport. Though a gym is traditionally thought of as a collection of weights and treadmills, the concept of a gym could easily pivot to more personal almost customized workouts. Yoga through Zoom in addition to Peloton, Nike, and other similar services who have been offering free access to their workout apps have been made available for those looking to exercise while quarantined. These new behaviors could easily be adopted into a fitness concept for travelers wanting to get in a workout or meditate but within a small window of time.

Don’t want to get your sweat on? Perhaps video games through concepts such as Gameway, who have two units in Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Want more culture? How about local art installations, historical exhibits, and small concerts?

But if you absolutely still need to work because you are on a business trip, private spaces such as Jabbrrbox would be an option for an impromptu conference call. Needing a bit more flexible space? Minute Suites will allow for more leg and elbow room to stretch out in a micro-hotel room environment. These are additional opportunities to contribute to the social distancing that will continue to be practiced.

Posting soon will be the third installment in this series. 

Read Part I here.

This and future articles are meant to spark conversation, discussion and debate. Was something overlooked? Would love for you to chime in!