An Analysis of Passengers’ Shopping Behaviour in the Departure Lounge: The Importance of Non-aeronautical Income for Airport Operations

Zuendel, Anna (2012) An Analysis of Passengers’ Shopping Behaviour in the Departure Lounge: The Importance of Non-aeronautical Income for Airport Operations. [Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)] (Unpublished)

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Abstract

This study deals with airport shopping behaviour of travellers in a departure lounge

with the major aim of providing a basis for future airport marketing activities. Due to

the increasing number of privatisations of airports profit maximization has been

gaining in importance. This can be more easily achieved by concentrating on nonaeronautical

income than aeronautical income, as these are more manageable by an

airport itself. One main source of income is made up of airport retailing.

Customers need to get a business’ full attention. Airport managers thus need to

concentrate on their passengers in order to improve non-aeronautical revenues.

Understanding their needs and desires helps to effectively develop marketing

strategies, which help to increase commercial income.

The dissertation focuses on main influences on airport shopping behaviour including

purchase involvement levels, impulse buying as the main purchasing behaviour at an

airport as well as tourist behaviour at an airport. A review of the literature on airport

development and airport shopping behaviour will be supported by data gained from

primary research in terms of intercept surveys in the departure lounge of Birmingham

Airport.

The findings revealed that most purchases made at the airport were of a low

involvement nature. Furthermore, most purchases were also made due to impulse

buying including planned impulse purchases. It is however, debatable in how far

impulse buying behaviour and involvement levels relate to each other. A special

tourist behaviour at an airport could not be exposed. Nevertheless, it is still an

important topic that should be further examined as most of the leisure travellers were

already in a holiday mood before they arrived at their destination. If tourist behaviour

has an influence on airport shopping airport marketing managers should focus on

making their holidays already start at the airport. Another issue to elaborate on is the

effective use of the tool of sales promotion in an airport in order to reach consumers

and increase non-aeronautical income.

Item Type: Dissertation (University of Nottingham only)
Depositing User: EP, Services
Date Deposited: 08 Apr 2013 12:49
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2017 13:10
URI: https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/id/eprint/25860

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