Airports: Where Retailing Takes To The Skies

With air travel increasing at a brisk space and consumer spend keeping pace, stores at airports are witnessing a rising demand for various products – from books to apparel and purses to jewellery.

- Tanya Krishna

Guess what India’s millennial population swears by? To travel is to live – that’s the philosophy!

This, along with lower air travel costs, rise in middle class, urbanisation, etc., has led to a tremendous increase in the number of air passengers, which ultimately has resulted in airports emerging as the next battleground for retailers. With retailers already saturating the malls and the down towns, airports, in fact, remain the best resorts for these brands. According to IATA, India is predicted to overtake the UK as the third largest aviation market in the world by 2025. And a number of national and international brands are trying to tap this opportunity. While most of the Indian brands are going for the company owned stores, foreign companies seeking to have retail presence at the airports are mostly opting for franchisees. In fact, Puma India has both of its airport stores – one in Delhi and another in Hyderabad – owned by franchisees.

The Market Triggers