How can airports go from bricks to clicks by accelerating digital retailing strategies?

In addition to minimising fixed costs, optimising operational costs and ensuring an efficient and safe experience for staff and passengers, non aeronautical revenue will continue to play a key role in enhancing financial resilience as airports seek to sustain business operations and promote growth during the ongoing COVID-19 recovery period. Given the decrease of travel demand and the projected total of passenger numbers for 2022 not rising to 2019 levels, non aeronautical revenue will be an integral and critical part of airports' financial health. If the aviation industry is to thrive in a post-pandemic future, all stakeholders must be prepared to adopt new methodologies that are more in line with public expectations and legal requirements for health, sanitisation and safety. This extends to all revenue streams, and puts the onus on stakeholders to transform digitally, and to adopt key data-based technologies that combine biometric and biographic data capture, automation and a digital identity management platform. This paper lays down guidelines for such digital transformation, and strategies for making the transition from physical processes to contactless and digital methodologies. Data monetisation will help airports to ‘go from bricks to clicks’, by leveraging data shared to provide a better and more personalised experience for the customer. The paper also details a roadmap for collaboration between airport stakeholders and considers digital imperatives for travel retail.