Hudson, which operates more than 1,000 stores in airports and tourist destinations across North America, will upgrade its store design for greater flexibility, including adding self-checkout stations to the remodeled stores.
Launching in key markets starting in early 2020, the next generation of Hudson stores will feature:
- Digital displays that can host localized consumer content that is controlled internally by the corporate team;
- Interchangeable modular walls to provide smooth transitions between retail offerings and a working rotation of seasonal displays and enhanced product categories; and
- Self-checkout stations to expedite transactions for travelers.
“Our mission is to reflect the changes in the travel industry that passengers have come to expect,” said Brian Quinn, EVP and Chief Operating Officer of Hudson Group in a statement. “Our refreshed design concept will grab customers at the door and draw them all the way into the back of the store — giving us the opportunity to customize each store to make it more enticing to travelers and profitable for our travel-hub partners.”
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The airport retail mainstay also will introduce its “Hudson Blue” app in mid-2020, a consumer-facing mobile application designed to connect travelers with a Hudson store from their mobile device and gather insight on products and promotions.
“As the world of travel changes and evolves with new technology, it is our obligation to evolve the product offerings, transactional capabilities, and overall store model,” said Roger Fordyce, Chief Executive Officer of Hudson Group in a statement. “In addition to the unique digital elements, our next generation store concept is the perfect platform to not only expand Hudson’s current retail offerings and partnership categories, but more importantly allows product mix and transactional flexibility to evolve as our customers and trends evolve.”
