Shopping Centers Today is the news magazine of the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC)
Issue link: https://sct.epubxp.com/i/62026
and Swarovski. Zara opened its first airport store last year, a boutique at London's Heathrow Airport. Though food-and-beverage sellers of- ten dominate the mix at airport venues, the retail presence is growing. "Retailers are absolutely looking at airports as a vi- able option for their growth opportuni- ties," said Gerry Cecci, vice president of airport management at Westfield Con- cession Management, a U.S. unit of the Westfield Group. Westfield Conces- sion Management manages retail con- cessions at 10 of the busiest airports in the U.S. Westfield's additions include Build-A-Bear, which opened its first air- port store last summer at Orlando (Fla.) International. Technology concepts and services are popular too — an Apple iStore boutique opened at Boston-Logan International Airport in March. Westfield opened a Be Relax spa at Boston's Terminal C in December, and the firm plans to intro- duce another spa concept as part of the retail expansion under way at Chicago O'Hare Terminal 5. "We try to create the experience and the atmosphere that allows the passenger to enjoy the airport environment," Cecci said. The demographics of top airport locations have retailers and restaurants excited over the opportunities to boost sales and marketing. Despite a recession- related drop-off in air travel, the total number of passengers in the U.S. totaled some 712 million in 2010 (some 42 mil- lion of those were at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International, which grabbed top honors as the busiest airport in the country, according to the FAA.) Post-9/11 security only emphasizes Opportunities exist for those who know where to locate them. BJ's PLAZA Torrington, CT 5,000 SF Available t 90,820 SF neighborhood shopping center featuring BJ's, Dollar Tree, and Dunkin' Donuts t Located at the intersection of East Main Street (Route 202) and Torringford West Street in Litchfield County and in close proximity to Routes 4 and 8 STOP& SHOP PLAZA Canaan, CT 3,480 SF Available t 71,000 SF neighborhood shopping center anchored by Super Stop & Shop and Family Dollar t Located at the intersection of Main Street (Route 44) and Railroad Street (Route 7) in affluent Litchfield County CROSS POINTE CENTRE Jacksonville, NC 5,000; 6,000 SF Available t 196,214 SF power center featuring Marshalls, Ashley Furniture, Old Navy, Books-A-Million, Shoe Carnival, Michaels, Lane Bryant, O'Charley's, and Cracker Barrel t Located on Western Boulevard in Onslow County near Coastal Carolina Community College, Jacksonville Mall and U.S. Marine Corps Camp LeJeune CINEMA CENTER Bloomsburg, PA 5,000 SF Pad; 9,000 SF Available t 48,543 SF neighborhood center featuring Cinema Center t Located on Columbia Boulevard (Route 11) at signalized intersection, just off Interstate 80 in Columbia County, 40 miles southwest of Wilkes-Barre and 2 miles from Bloomsburg University t Neighboring retailers include Advance Auto Parts, Rita's Italian Ice, Verizon, Aaron's Rent, and Wendy's NEW TOWNSHOPS ON MAINWilliamsburg, VA 500 to 10,000 SF Available; Two 9,000 SF On-site Land Parcels Available for Sale for Office/Retail t Established 253,000 SF retail center located on Monticello Avenue in the heart of a 365-acre mixed-use community and in close proximity to the College of William & Mary t 1.7 million SF of specialty retail, office, residential and entertainment t Join Barnes & Noble, JoAnn Fabrics, American Family Fitness, Buffalo Wild Wings, Bonefish Grill, Regal Cinemas, Panera Bread, Charming Charlie, and many more! 1224 Mill Street, Building D-Suite 103, East Berlin, CT 06023 | developers-realty.com Kelly Voss: kelly@developers-realty.com | T 860.561.0121 F 860.521.4323 Visit us at S403 Q Street at RECon in Las Vegas! the captive audience potential for airport concessions. On average, there is about an hour between the time a passenger passes through security and the time he or she boards the plane, Cecci says, and this is "dwell" time that often translates into spending. The industry benchmark tracks sales based on the number of out- bound passengers, and some of the busi- est airports generate spending of $26 per passenger, on average. "Space in an airport environment is limited," said Cecci. "Productiv- ity, however, is very strong." Sales per square foot at busy airports tend to be much higher than at traditional re- tail locations — as much as three times higher than at some malls. Sales at the 10 airports Westfield is involved with are about $2,000 per square foot on average. The high sales per square foot figures are, of course, partly a function of the smaller store sizes. Though quick- service food operations tend to be simi- lar in size to those at a typical mall court, sit-down restaurants can be 30 to 40 percent smaller than mall or street sites, and airport retail shops are significantly smaller than traditional shopping cen- ter locations, often measuring between 158 SCT / MAY 2012