FRANCE. Intelligent Track Systems (ITS) and Nice Côte d’Azur Airport have signed an agreement for the use of the Danish company’s ‘smart’ shopping trolleys. The collaboration marks a travel retail industry first in a European airport.
At least 30 of the trolleys will be placed in Terminal 2 post-security from July, giving departing passengers – including delegates and visitors to this year’s TFWA World Exhibition – the opportunity to use their numerous services free of charge.
As reported, ITS trolleys use digital screens to interact with the user, providing information on access routes, departure times, departure gates, product promotions, tax-free shopping guidelines and other relevant airport information in their preferred language. They also provide heat mapping data for operators.
The trolleys were introduced to San Diego International Airport late last year.
ITS CEO Morten Pankoke said: “The commercial team at Nice Côte d’Azur Airport are very forward thinking. They instantly see the massive benefits that this type of personalised travel companion brings to passengers while also raising the levels of shopping transactions.”
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport Head of Commercial Activities & Services Valérie Chuong commented: “We are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to enhance the passenger experience and we believe these intelligent trolleys will do just that.
“We also expect to see a benefit in terms of extra sales as well as data such as heat mapping so that we can optimise our spaces.”
ITS is marketed and distributed in travel retail by business development agency Blueprint.
Blueprint pointed out that a survey of users at San Diego International last year produced positive feedback:
- 90% said the cart made their shopping experience easier
- 22% activated the ‘show route to a concession’ function, and arrived at the right place
- 70% activated the ‘show route to gate’ function and arrived
- 29% said the adverts on the carts convinced them to buy products
- 94% said they would use the carts next time they came to the airport
- Passengers scored the carts 4.73 out of 5 for the helpfulness off the features on their interactive screens.
Pankoke added: “Smart trolleys can ramp up passenger satisfaction levels by allowing them to relax and let the digital screens do the thinking and searching for them. It can take the stress out of the journey in the terminal which is known to encourage spending.”
ITS is hopeful that it can equal or surpass these results at Nice Airport.
Blueprint Partner Thomas Kaneko Henningsen commented: “We are confident that by using the built-in wayfinding services and advertisements on the tablets, these intuitive smart trolleys will drive more foot traffic to retail and F&B concessions.
“We also expect them to get passengers to their gates on time. It is a quadruple win for passengers, Nice Airport, concessionaires and airlines.”
Henningsen said the industry “needs tools like these to enable seamless airport shopping and overall travel experience”.
He added, “During these unprecedented times every spend counts and ITS is a breath of fresh air in doing just that. We are teaming up with Nice Airport because it is a highly committed team passionate about being best-in-class and always wanting the best for their passengers.”
“We welcome ITS and the opportunity to positively impact passengers’ shopping and overall experience” – Nice Côte d’Azur Airport Head of Commercial Activities & Services Valérie Chuong
Nice Côte d’Azur Airport will also be able to use the data collected from the trolleys to establish which stores passengers visit the most – and the least – and where the ‘pinch points’ are in terms of traffic. The airport can review layouts and concessions and further improve the passenger experience.
“We welcome ITS and the opportunity to positively impact passengers’ shopping and overall experience. As a progressive airport, we are excited about being an industry first in Europe,” Chuong concluded.
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