Germany’s Frankfurt Airport is one of Europe’s largest travel hubs, having served 61 million passengers in 2015. With over 300 retail outlets, Frankfurt Airport is also the biggest shopping mall in Germany.

Powered by Magento – the leading eCommerce software and platform, Frankfurt Airport now has turned traditional duty-free shopping into omni-channel. More exactly, with the ability to buy in the air and pick-up on the ground, Frankfurt Airport enables travelers to shop in a omni channel fashion with the launch of a new seamless eCommerce experience.

The Challenge: digital transformation of the airport

Frankfurt Airport is very special, since it’s one of the busiest airports and biggest mall in Germany at the same time. After detailed analysis, here are the special characters of Frankfurt Airport:

High traffic levels with a high volume of passenger

Customers are accurately known, identifiable and locatable through the flight data

The airport controls the entire infrastructure

The aim of the project was therefore to provide relevant information and services to passengers during their trip – at the right time and at the right place. Features including: online shopping experiences before, during and after the flight, delivery and pick-up in airport, loyalty program, logistics and fulfillment integration, etc.

Ideally, passengers should be able to look at, buy and pay for products while making travel arrangements, during the journey itself and during their stay at the airport, and be able to pick up their purchases or have them delivered to the gate or to their home.

The Solution: New commerce concept for the travel industry

Within one year, a complex eCommerce/online mall concept for Frankfurt Airport has been implemented. The new solution offers passengers a variety of useful options for planning their travel and during the trip itself, during online and offline shopping at the airport and for accessing Frankfurt Airport services.

Passengers can inform themselves about products and shop in advance of their trip or during layover- and waiting times. This significantly increases the window for shopping and makes waiting time utilizable, thus boosting sales.For retailers, the platform represents an additional marketplace that places all shops at the customer’s fingertips and makes all products available within no more than 45 minutes.

As a result, consumers will now have the opportunity to make purchases while in-flight and pick up their purchase when they land, extending the timeframe for duty-free shopping. Available in the online store are items that start at entry-level price points, such as Burberry fragrances, and go to the high end, such as Remy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac priced at more than $3,000.

Omni-Channel: The future of offline retailing

“Bringing this level of convenience to our customers is a reflection of our commitment to not only stay ahead of the technology curve, but to deliver great travel experiences to all who pass through our airport. With Magento’s digital commerce and order management technology, we’re able to pioneer a new way of delivering value to our customers and retailers alike.” Kai Schmidhuber, SVP of Multichannel at Fraport AG

Frankfurt Airport’s omni channel eCommerce launch is a milestone for the travel industry, especially in the retail sector, as it unites more than 30 systems and brings together numerous retailers and service providers in an entirely new and innovative mall concept. Not only is it an industry first, it will fundamentally change how people shop and travel.

Omni-channel eCommerce represent the future of retailing. For more information about omni channel transition, please visit our Omni channel page to learn more.

Related Video: Frankfurt Airport Omnichannel E-Commerce Launch [Youtube] [Youku]

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