Airport Experience® News - Retail & Services Issue 2025

International Airport (YVR) pop-up of sustainable clothing brand tentree, which plants trees with every item purchased, was a huge success. “The response has been wonderful,” she says, “making it clear that travelers are embracing the opportunity to make a positive impact through travel retail.” Some brands have a consumer hook, such as sustainable offerings, local roots or something else. For Johnston & Murphy , heritage combined with a forward-thinking approach has driven its long-term success in airports. “J&M was ahead of the curve in terms of recognizing the shift from suits and ties to more business casual,” says company consultant Eric Kicherer. “Even before Covid and before work at home was so prevalent, they had already begun that process to update their assortment, with casual shoes that transition from office to leisure. “There are geographic nuances and customer engagement [strategies] that make a difference when you’re selling a $200 pair of shoes or a whole outfit – we have found that

the J&M airport store actually becomes the customer’s main store,” he adds. “They may not be going to the mall like they used to, and it’s a lot easier to either preorder or shop at the airport store that becomes their store, more so than the local store on Main Street.” The brand, which offers free shipping so that travelers can access their full selection from any location, also communicates with customers through SMS, direct mail and catalogs, says Connie Cartmill, Johnston & Murphy’s vice president of stores. “We also invest in brand-building media campaigns as well as on site advertising to drive traffic and awareness in the airports,” a strategy that Kicherer sees working. “In the scheme of things, they’re a relatively small brand. So they recognize that there’s a huge upside potential by increasing the awareness, and they’ve engaged in an updated branding, along the lines of, ‘We are not your father’s shoe store,’” he says. Johnston & Murphy still faces some of the challenges of other airport apparel brands, says Cartmill. “The airport operating model is dynamic and challenging,” she says. “It’s a

Above: Johnston & Murphy has been a constant in airport for the past three decades, offering apparel to both business and leisure travelers.

capital-intensive environment and occupancy costs are high. To compete you must have a compelling brand proposition, first class retail execution skills, and the ability to drive high sales per square foot. And most importantly, you must have a razor-sharp focus on your consumer. We’ve been operating airport retail for nearly 30 years and we’re constantly working to up our game.” Consultant Stiene agrees. “It’s all about knowing your demographics,” she says. “Just because something works in one airport does not mean it’s going to work in another airport. The biggest piece here is to understand who it is that is traveling through: are they on a leisure trip? Are they on business? What is their age group? What are their interests? How many times a year do they travel? It’s about finding out a little bit about them.”

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AX NEWS SEPTEMBER 2025