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THE EVOLVING CONCESSIONS Concepts, Merchandise, Pricing And Buildouts Have All Seen Big Shifts In Two Decades

BY CAROL WARD

There are still more than a handful of airport concessions industry players who remember programs far different than what we see today. The “hot-dog-on-rollers” time – harkening back to the 1980s and early 1990s – is oft-mentioned as a starting point before a three-decade evolution of the concessions industry. Then, airport concessions were little more than a bar or food stand offering a quick beer and questionable hot dog, and airport retail consisted of magazine and book offerings with few sundries and little more. The first signs of upheaval came in the mid-1990s when operators began seeking national brand partnerships and upgrading offerings for passengers. After a large hiccup due to the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the evolution continued, this time with programs concentrated mainly on the secure side of the terminal. “Prior to 9/11, anyone could walk from pre- to post security,” recalls Stan Synkoski, vice president of development for NewsLink / PremAir Hospitality Group . “The biggest change [after 9/11] was the decline in business pre-security and the increase in business post-security,” he said, noting that the typical airport had a concessions program heavily weighted to the pre-security side.

Left: Newslink / PremAir Hospitality Group’s Stan Synkoski says one of the biggest changes to

concessions programs over the past two decades has been the shift to concessions concentration on the secure side of the airport.

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AX NEWS JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2024