On a European vacation earlier this summer, I spent a good deal of time in London airports, and I was immediately drawn into the consumer hypnotic effect of duty-free shopping. I’ve perused the shelves of many an airport’s duty-free shop before in other cities, but never have I been so persuaded as when I was killing two hours in Heathrow.
The first thing I noticed about the London duty-free experience (in both Heathrow and Gatwick airports) is that you are spit out of security right at the start of the magical duty-free yellow brick road. You have no choice but to traverse through the cocktail samples, well priced bottles of Pimms and specially packaged Veuve Clicquot. It’s the samples that really get you. Sure it was morning, but I was gearing up for a nine-hour flight — why not start my day with a little imbibing!
Join the author on her struggle to resist the allure of reasonably priced libations.
From the spirits they drive you through shelf after shelf of designer sunglasses. When you see that red “tax-free” price written below the regular retail price, you immediately forget that the pound is much stronger than the dollar (or Euro for that matter) and you would be much better off just buying your new Ted Bakers online.
After crossing through the Swatch Watches, jewelry and perfume, you end your journey with the sweets. High from your big purchases and maybe a little buzzed from your adult beverage samples, you might as well bring back some treats for all of your coworkers back home.
The entire journey is artfully (almost scientifically) curated. It is not just a matter of convenience, but experience. These duty-free shops are a retail wonderland. The way the cheery sales associates and sample-distributors greet you and pull you through makes it nearly impossible to say no to at least something. And there is no shortcut to bypass the retail temptations with your blinders on — you must wind your way through each section and take in all of the great gifts ideas for the family members you may have forgotten about. It doesn’t just feel like a place to stock up on tax-free booze for your vacation, but rather a destination in and of itself.
In almost every other airport I’ve traveled through, the duty-free shop is an afterthought, situated on the side and away from the action — there if you need it, but not calling your name. I realize what a missed opportunity this is, as I consider myself a very savvy shopper and traveler who is not easily swayed, but even I brought back an abundance of shiny duty-free purchases. The secret lies not only in positioning (forcing every traveler to walk through the entire shop certainly helps) but also in the strategic curation. This concept can be applied to nearly every store, website even ad campaign. You cannot force users to come to your store or website, so you must entice them. And once there, show them where to go and what to do. Take us on a journey to help us experience a product or site the way it was made to be experienced, and the results are likely to be much more fruitful.
Posted By
Greer Kimsey
Categories
Travel