Airport Experience® News - Retail & Services Issue 2025

TRAVEL ESSENTIALS, Exploring The Ongoing Evolution Of Airport News/Gift Stores

BY SALLY KRAL

wider assortment of products than they did a couple of decades ago. “Trending products are fast-paced and ever-evolving, from luxury brands, local gifts and all the newest trends in tech, and we’re seeing stores adopt a more lifestyle, boutique look with an emphasis on brands,” notes Lori Enger, director of merchandise for Love From USA , which has retail stores in five U.S. airports,. Terri Roberts, vice president of Onsite Retailers , which operates 30 concepts in nearly a dozen airports, points out the expanded role these stores now play in the airport experience. “They offer not just

As is the case with practically every aspect of the airport experience, news and gift shops have greatly evolved over the years, so much so that David Bisset, chief development officer for Paradies Lagardère , points out that the name for this category of store isn’t quite accurate anymore. “‘News and gift’ is increasingly a misnomer, with magazines and gifts representing less than a third of these stores’ sales mix,” he says, adding that a more accurate name – and one that many in the industry have adopted – is “travel essentials” store. No matter what you call them, there’s no denying that these stores offer a much

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AX NEWS SEPTEMBER 2025