HONG KONG, CHINA. Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has launched its first autonomous convenience store in association with Lagardère Travel Retail Asia. The 80sq m travelwell is designed to offer passengers a seamless shopping experience through contactless grab-and-go purchases of products including packaged food, souvenirs, drinks and travel essentials.
Said to be “breaking new ground in travel retail”, the store is located at the entrance of the Sky Bridge, near Gate 24.
Using innovative IoT sensing technology, travelwell tracks customers’ movements and shopping patterns, automatically detecting the items they select and eliminating the need for checkout queues.
According to HKIA, the store “redefines how travellers shop at airports, cementing HKIA’s position as a travel retail innovator”.
The travelwell concept is straightforward:
- Customers tap their credit card at the entrance to enter the store
- IoT sensing technology detects their movement and shopping pattern, automatically sensing selected items
- When a customer is ready to leave, the sensor will detect purchased items and the customer’s credit card will be charged accordingly
- If required, a receipt can be printed at the store’s exit.
Airport Authority Hong Kong Head of Retail and Advertising Alby Tsang said: “The first-ever autonomous store at HKIA is creating a buzz with its seamless shopping experience for travellers on the go.
“As a smart airport, we have always been committed to using the latest innovations and technologies to elevate the passenger experience. The launch of travelwell demonstrates this commitment.
“By using breakthrough technologies, we provide passengers with a one-stop shop for pre-flight necessities and last-minute shopping. It’s just one more way that HKIA is staying at the forefront of travel retail innovation to redefine airport shopping experiences.”
Lagardère Travel Retail Asia Chief Operating Officer & Group Chief Strategy and Development Officer Séverine Lanthier commented: “We are grateful to have benefitted from the support of Airport Authority Hong Kong and of business partners to pioneer this technology-led, innovative new store.
“Our travelwell store and the beautiful Sky Bridge are a natural fit for each other. I hope the new shopping experience will appeal to travelers and become a memorable part of their journey. This project represents a key milestone in our ambitious roadmap to innovate to elevate the traveller shopping experience.”
NOTE. Airport Authority Hong Kong is hosting The Trinity Forum 2023. The world’s most influential airport commercial revenues conference is co-organised by The Moodie Davitt Report, ACI World and ACI Asia-Pacific and will take place in Hong Kong 25-26 October.
The 2023 edition of The Trinity Forum marks the 20th anniversary of the event, first held in London in February 2003. This will be fifth time The Trinity Forum has been held in China and the second in Hong Kong after a highly successful event in 2015. 
