U.S. Vice President Joe Biden raised some hackles in early February by likening New York’s LaGuardia Airport (LGA) to that of “some third-world country.” But few could dispute Biden’s overall point – namely, that too many U.S. airports are in desperate need of modernization. And yet this is not just a stateside phenomenon: Aging airports around the globe are begging to be brought into the 21st Century.
What triggered Biden’s frank remarks about LGA? Seems to me it was a response to the utilitarian approach that prevailed in the 80s and 90s when several of LGA’s terminals were built. In these eras, travelers were still regarded as impersonal units to be shuttled from point A to point B. Today, forward-thinking airport operators and retailers see travelers as wired, moneyed, discriminating shoppers and diners whose tastes and preferences must be catered to.
Slapping some modern art on the walls isn’t enough anymore. Nor will it do to have highly compartmentalized retail spaces that all look like variants of Hudson News. Today’s airports need to emphasize local flavor and livable (even lounge-able) spaces. They also need to open-up retail environments to make them feel more integrated with the rest of the airport. At the Mohammed V International Airport in Morocco, my firm is now helping an established duty-free retailer do all of the above. The goal of this rebranding project is to rethink the impulse-oriented, no-frills approach that has ruled the day in airport retail generally and duty-free in particular. We are accomplishing this by crafting a theme that borrows liberally from local visual culture.
After touring the Moroccan landscape and taking in its romantic and inspiring colors and textures, we brought these aesthetic elements into the retailer’s formerly staid stores. The goal was, in part, to juxtapose elements of Moorish architecture with a sophisticated layer of French Colonial style. Creating strong connections to local history and culture is even more important for airport shops than typical retail environments. After all, they are the last memory many travelers will form as they say goodbye to their vacations. Even business travelers like to feel a local vibe as they hop from airport to airport.
One of our redesigned shops for this retailer features a courtyard and a series of rooms enhanced by strong visual merchandising and beautiful tile, stone and woodwork. On a recent visit, I watched travelers stop to enjoy and photograph the new space with its colonnades and arched entryway. Another location will include a cigar room, a wine bar and a confectionary room, along with an expanded cosmetics area and a bigger roster of international brands. In too many duty-free shops around the globe, people aimlessly mill about to kill time. These redesigned spaces beckon travelers to hang out and enjoy themselves.
Airports could up their game by working with retailers to emphasize traveler ease and interest, but also to make tasteful use of local color and culture. Moving forward, I hope that designers will help more airport operators and retailers create presentations that feel cohesive, engaging, integrated and relevant. When Biden talked about the “third world,” he meant it as a slap, but in today’s globalized marketplace, the comment itself sounds like a relic from a bygone era. Even high-traffic LGA could learn a thing or two from an airport retailer halfway across the globe in Morocco.
Peter Burgoyne is creative director at CBX, a global branding and retail design firm. He is responsible for establishing and leading the creative vision for luxury interior and architectural projects, while guiding and managing the creative staff.