Airport Experience® News - Retail & Amenities Issue 2023

Programs Offer Opportunity, Guidance To Smaller Retail Players

BY SARAH BEL ING

It’s a well-known truth that breaking into the airport retail space can be challenging for small businesses. But despite the sometimes intimidating overhead and operations procedures, more and more independent and local shops are popping up in airports thanks to the expansion of retail kiosk programs. Accelerated by the financial fluctuations of the pandemic travel market, airport operators are turning to shorter lease retail agreements and startup-style mentoring to encourage local brands to try out their concepts with both more innovation and a financial safety net. “I think it’s fantastic for everybody,” says Susan Steine, president of Optimas Management Group, of the rise in small

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