Airport Experience® News - Retail Issue 2026

“Through the redevelopment of our commercial program, we have consistently partnered with homegrown companies that reflect the rich cultural landscape of one of the greatest cities in the world,” Jain says. “As we reshape our passengers’ duty-free experience, we are anchoring T4’s New York identity with nods to the city’s global stature, while celebrating local craftsmanship.” As to which categories perform best in duty free stores, local is gaining traction. “Multi-category formats, which allow for agility and flexibility in brand mix, are largely successful,” says Jain. “We’ve seen more demand for local offerings as passengers look for destination-specific liquor, wines, and gourmet food items to bring home.” Experience and sense of place are top of mind for Avolta. “Travelers want a duty free experience that feels specific to where they are, not something that could exist in any airport in the world,” says Herzig. “In JFK [Terminal 8], we embedded a speakeasy style cocktail lounge, Blinded Tiger, in our duty-free liquor and tobacco store, The Connoisseur Collection. Blinded Tiger is a nod to New York’s speakeasies of the 1920s and is the only concept of its kind.” JJFKIAT continues to innovate through its processes, too, having recently piloted a cash-and-carry program for duty free. “Through strong collaboration, innovative technology, and disciplined mitigation procedures, the pilot achieved a 98.3% compliance rate, demonstrating that a secure cash-and-carry program can enhance the passenger experience while maintaining the highest standards of customs compliance,” Jain says, adding that the terminal is exploring the possibility of scaling the program in the future. Jain also sees strong potential in investing in premium luxury brands to operate their own airport boutiques rather than rely on third-party concessions operators. “Our goal through that model – which is relatively new to U.S. airports – is to foster a retail environment that feels more like Fifth Avenue rather than a mall or shopping outlet,” she says.

Generational Demands Industry experts have also noticed a generational shift in consumer behavior. “I’ve spent 18 years in global travel retail across MENA and Africa, a decade of that as managing director at Dufry, and the traveler I saw on day one was a completely different animal to the one I see today,” says Ashraf Fathi, independent global travel retail consultant and former managing director at Dufry Group . “Two things drove that change more than anything else: a generational shift toward digitally native travelers who research and compare before they ever reach the

Top: Duty Free Americas acquired DFS Group’s Los Angeles and San Francisco airport businesses earlier this year, strengthening its presence in the US market. Above: in April, DFA opened its new Lego specialty store at JFK Terminal 8. The company also operates Lego stores at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport and Miami International Airport.

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AX NEWS SEPTEMBER 2026