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Unattended Retail Helps Set the Pace of a Traveler’s Journey

Think of your last five trips through airports. It is likely none of those travel experiences were the same.

Neil Thompson hsNeil Thompson Maybe one felt rushed: unexpected traffic, a meeting that ran late, or a tight connection that required a terminal change. Another may have felt leisurely: the start of a well-earned vacation, a swift security line, or a long layover. Then think about the meals that you had: a casual, sit-down dinner with a cocktail or a grab-and-go sandwich for the plane?

The reality of travel is that foodservice operators must serve passengers in drastically different situations, concurrently at all hours of the day. Outside of airports, there is nowhere else our industry faces such a variety of customer needs, but the learnings from airport foodservice apply to any operator investing in off-premises today.

HMSHost’s solution to this challenge is to do everything in our power to help set the pace of a traveler’s journey. Technology like unattended retail solutions delivers a personalized experience in an airport, allowing passengers to determine how they interact with a store and the pace at which they do so.

Since the pandemic, consumers’ comfort with engaging with new technology has grown, along with the demand for both convenience and a customized dining experience. Research shows consumers view unattended retail as faster and more efficient, and that they enjoy the ability to browse without interacting with employees or feeling the pressure of an upsell. And in the end, consumers oftentimes spend more per transaction than they would in an attended setting.

We are always looking to align the airport experience with what consumers get street-side, should they want that. Through unattended retail, we can better serve customers by allowing them to make choices on their own terms to control how they dine. Unattended retail can appease those who prefer a frictionless experience, while also enabling a traveler strapped for time to avoid the lines and grab a quick bite they otherwise may not get. 

We have also seen the benefits of unattended retail in serving passengers embarking on late-night flights. When restaurants are closed, this technology drives the after-hours segment. To that end, HMSHost has expanded self-checkout solutions and self-order kiosks, and we continue to work closely with our airport partners and associates to increase adoption. 

From what we’ve seen, in the right situation, self-checkout sales can generate comparable sales to popular quick-service restaurants — using less labor. Lee Spa At Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, for example, we have a self-checkout machine that serves more than 500 travelers a day, 7 days a week. In quick-service restaurants, our self-order kiosks now account for approximately one-third of sales in enabled locations, up from 10% of overall transactions in 2019. For example, our Wingstop restaurant at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport currently stands at 65% adoption, resulting in a 14% sales increase, while our KFC at Los Angeles International Airport is at 80% adoption with a 20% sales increase.

As adoption grows, so do sales. And these applications allow operators like HMSHost to add value in new ways to customer transactions while addressing key labor challenges.


Written by Neil Thompson 

Vice president, digital

HMSHost