Airports: the next shopping destination

In 2005, I travelled to Singapore for the first time and I was stunned to see Changi airport. In fact, I didn’t feel like coming out since it had so much to offer travellers. The duty free shops were stacked with all manner of delights — from books to clothes to bags, to shoes, to watches to fragrances and food, the list goes on. Though not at par with Changi, today India too has some good airports that are also becoming great retail destinations for brands, both domestic and international. Yes, this concept is already a success at global airports and now it’s gripping India as well.
Brands such as Burberry, Bottega Veneta, Hermes, Tag Heuer, Gucci, Bvlgari, Montblanc, Ferrari and Chanel among others offer products related to fashion, jewellery and accessories. The reasons behind this phenomenon don’t need a detailed research. An average of one lakh travellers arrive or depart every day from the Terminal 3 of Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Even if one considers footfalls at a top shopping mall or market of the country on a Sunday or a national holiday, I doubt if the turnout comes to even half that figure.
Read news in full 23/12/13 Gautam Gupta/mydigitalfc.com