Western & English Today

JANSB 2014

W&E; Today provides retailers and manufacturers with education and ideas that provoke innovation in the Western and English markets.

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riding is missing, although we thought about adding a stufed bull but lets at multiple airports) — have done a good job at capturing product that's appropriate for local markets, Avila notes. Airports, in the RFP we just didn't have room." Te location exudes plenty of Billy Bob's essence, just the same. process and in selecting concessions, are geared more toward local Marquees ofer concert information, concrete handprints of some of product today. the stars who have performed at Billy Bob's are framed on the wall, a replica of the famous venue's backstage wall, which features autoUNDERSTANDING THE MARKET. graphs of the performers, is at the rear of the store. Concerts and bull "Travel retailing is a very specialized business," says Hudson's Samuels. riding fash across large, fat-screen TVs. Te legs of the store's display "Tere are many really terrifc products that just don't sell well in tables resemble the necks of guitars — attention to detail was top pri- airports and train stations, and sometimes we just have to point that ority. A listening station ofers sampling of "Live at Billy Bob's" CDs. out to brands that want to do business with us. Furniture, for instance: "It's nice to sell T-shirts, CDs and koozies, but the big bonus is You can't take an ottoman on the plane. Some types of apparel that being in front of 8 million people a year — business people and require ftting rooms and adjustments, for another. Most people don't tourists — who walk by the Billy Bob's Texas brand," Minick says. have the time to complete these kinds of shopping experiences while "Whether people are coming or going, we want them to know we are waiting for a fight." here, and for them to take a little Don't always think small, piece of Texas with them. We however, Avila says: It's not just do ticket giveaways, and list upthe trinkets that move the neecoming concerts that customers dle. Avila notes that they have can purchase tickets for on their sold about a dozen 4-foot-tall smartphones." ceramic Day of the Dead CaTo meet traveler demand trinas (elegantly attired female and expectation, the airport skeleton artwork) through its store has more product directed window display in their Albufor children than the entertainquerque airport store. ment venue's gif shop, and the "At frst consideration, you jewelry line is slightly higher might think those would never end. sell at the airport," she says. "We Minick notes, "We had to also have sold multiples of an hustle to get the design settled, Bright Billy Bob's T-shirts, displayed on custom guitar-legged tables, are top sellers. overstufed chair priced in the the products planned, and the $2,000 range. People are buying people trained, but it was a fairly easy process with the Hudson folks. these items and shipping them home. People who are traveling today "Tey handle all the operation backbone; I don't have to deal with are looking for interesting, unusual items and will spend the money screening the employees, stafng the store, things like that. From that for them." perspective, it's important to partner with the right retail operator. Weir stresses that retailers seeking to enter the airport market Airports are approaching these groups, and they are bidding 20 retail need to fully understand the venue and the operational difculties of concepts at a time. So it becomes a process of presenting and control- a concourse location: what the minority participation requirements ling your brand, and evaluating your product line to determine what may be; what operating hours will be required; how to determine the people want to buy." best uses/products for a restricted retail space; and what is involved with the bid process. Further, each airport will have its own security regulations, process for TSA screening and fngerprinting of employGETTING THE GOODS. Product selection has been an evolutionary process. Te Avilas had ees, and process for managing merchandise deliveries. "Security in all of our locations is a major logistical issue," Avila been in business since the early 1970s in New Mexico when they started at Albuquerque airport, and the product oferings were an says. "Every airport is diferent, but the lag time between the hirextension of the local goods they knew. Te Avilas quickly found that ing, screening and fngerprinting processes is signifcant; it can take the volume was signifcantly higher than they had experienced as lo- weeks and sometimes these people will fnd another job while we are trying to get their clearance." cal store operators. Capital costs are usually double what a retailer is used to spending "We learned to narrow our selection oferings, so the airport customer, who generally does not have much time, can make a decision in mainstream storefronts, factoring in legal, employee parking and without being confused," Avila says. "As we expanded to other air- delivery fees, Weir says. "Te biggest mistake most retailers make is ports, we resourced products to local trade and craf shows and local that they underestimate the working hours of an airport, the ebb and retailers to fnd artists who ft with our theme. Twenty years later, we fow of trafc, and the change of airlines," she says. "You can have airstill attend local trade and craf shows in search of product, but most lines merge and change the pattern of customer fow at that location. artists come to us. We have an open vendor day once a quarter where Tat's pretty hard for a retailer to adjust to." "Signing an airport contract would make any lawyer's hair curl," artists will present to us; we need to be sure that they can wholesale product, produce it and deliver it on a professional basis. Beyond the Avila says. "Tere is every disclaimer in the world. Tey don't even quality of the objects, we need to determine whether that person can guarantee that the airport will be operating." Te bottom line for aspiring Western-oriented airport retailers: supply a high-volume market." Even the biggest airport retailers — Parodies, Hudson, Host, CBR Research the airport, prepare well and grab the bull by the horns. It Specialty Retail Group (which operates Spirit of the Red Horse out- can be a rewarding, if wild, ride. 52 Western & English Today

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