GERMANY. AOE, the leading developer of digital ecommerce platform solutions in the aviation and travel retail sphere, has released a free White Paper which examines how airlines can “seize the omnichannel opportunity” to drive greater ancillary revenue from a smarter, safer platform – even during a crisis such as COVID-19.
The publication – titled Strategies for the post-COVID-19 future of airline travel retail and F&B – has been authored by AOE’s Head of Airline Solutions, Michael Raasch, the long-time Head of Consulting at LSG Group. The White Paper picks apart the traditional inflight retail model, which has seen buying conversion rates plummet to lower than 1% in some cases.
In its place, Raasch and AOE advocate implementing omnichannel solutions which enable airlines to offer their passengers the convenience and touchpoints they have become used to from global ecommerce players. This is detailed in great depth in the White Paper.
Also in the publication, Raasch notes that the COVID-19 crisis has particularly highlighted the traditional inflight retail model’s weaknesses and that only a handful of airlines have innovated with digital omnichannel platforms. As a result, these airlines have been able to continue at least some degree of sales to their customers and, just as importantly, maintain their relationship with travellers.
Raasch believes the current aviation climate provides “the biggest opportunity ever seen in the history of inflight retail”. He notes that many global brands have distanced themselves from the traditional model but observes that the omnichannel approach has successfully re-integrated some key brands with airline retail.
AOE’s OM³ digital marketplace has been the chosen platform for numerous successful airport, airline and retailer forays into omnichannel retailing. The White Paper extensively highlights the hugely successful case study of Singapore Airlines and KrisShop.com (a partnership with 3Sixty Duty Free and SATS)
You can access the free White Paper here.
AOE is a Platinum Partner for the pioneering Moodie Davitt Virtual Travel Retail Expo, where CEO and Founder Kian Gould will also be making a keynote presentation on the subject of omnichannel in travel retail in the Expo Knowledge Hub.
