Airport HPP - Vanity Or Value
In travel retail, brands — often at the behest of retailers — invest heavily in High-Profile Promotions (HPPs), spending thousands on concourse activations, supported by teams dedicated to designing and executing these short-term brand showcases.
These activations receive far more internal attention and prominence than the fundamental principles of everyday execution. Yet, while HPPs generate visibility, many brands fail to apply the same level of investment, attention, and strategic thinking to everyday in-store excellence, which is where the real commercial impact lies.
The reality is clear: consistently executing the basics well will always deliver greater long-term value than a temporary activation. So, is the industry focused on what looks good, or on what actually drives sales?
HPPs: Big Exposure, Big Buzz
HPPs are often seen as the pinnacle of brand-building in travel retail. Set in the heart of the concourse, they guarantee maximum visibility. Every single passenger passing through the terminal will see the activation, and for brand managers, that’s a powerful statement. This presence allows brands to:
Drive awareness at scale – An HPP is seen by 100% of airport passengers.
Showcase innovation – New product launches, immersive digital experiences, and interactive zones create theatre and engagement.
Attract trade press attention – A well-designed HPP gets coverage in industry publications, strengthening the brand’s presence in the sector.
Justify spend to internal stakeholders – The sheer scale of exposure makes for an easy sell in marketing reports.
We fully acknowledge and appreciate that the primary role of an HPP is to build brand awareness and presence, rather than drive direct sales. These activations are designed to create a lasting impression, introduce products, and enhance visibility in an environment with high footfall.
However, while brand-building is crucial, the balance of investment must be carefully considered. A strong brand presence in the concourse should not come at the expense of in-store execution, which is where sustained commercial success is built.
The Harsh Reality: HPPs Are a Vanity Metric
While HPPs attract 100% of footfall, our research suggests that only 0.5% of passengers actually engage—whether that’s sampling, interacting with a digital experience, or speaking to a brand ambassador. That’s 99.5% of passengers walking straight past.
Let’s put that into perspective with real numbers.
The 100,000 Passenger Example (Per Week)
Consider an airport terminal with 100,000 passengers per week. Here’s what happens:
100,000 passengers see the HPP (full exposure).
0.5% engage – that’s 500 people interacting in some form.
20% of those who engage actually buy (which is at the top end of what we see from our research) – that’s just 100 sales per week for the specific brand running the HPP.
Compare this to what happens in-store:
40% of passengers enter the duty-free store – that’s 40,000 people.
16% visit the alcohol section – that’s 16,000 people actively looking at the category.
10% make a purchase – that’s 1,600 sales per week across the category (acknowledging that the category assortment could contain well over 700 SKUs).
The Numbers Don’t Lie: In-Store Delivers a Bigger Prize
While the 1,600 sales per week are spread across multiple brands, the fact remains that a brand excelling in-store 365 days a year has a far better chance of long-term commercial success than one relying solely on a short-term HPP. The reality is that in-store execution gives brands a consistent opportunity to convert shoppers every single day, rather than hoping to capture a small fraction of transient concourse traffic.
Who Really Wins with HPPs? The Retailers.
HPPs are big business for retailers. Brands pay tens of thousands per month for the privilege of owning a concourse space. Meanwhile, the retailer gets:
A guaranteed revenue stream from brand activations.
The ability to rotate brands for fresh new concepts.
A way to showcase the strength of the airport’s commercial offer to stakeholders.
Meanwhile, the only other winners are the brand managers and activation team who get to showcase a stunning creation to their colleagues, leadership team, and the trade press. It looks great in a case study, but in reality, it’s not a sustainable commercial model.
365 Excellence: The Winning Strategy
Rather than relying on a fleeting HPP, brands that focus on owning their space in-store all year round create sustained impact. Here’s why:
Retail is a game of consistency – Unlike an HPP, which disappears after a month, in-store excellence ensures maximum engagement 365 days a year.
Better targeting, higher conversion – Shoppers in-store already have purchase intent, whereas concourse engagement is passive.
A more cost-effective strategy – Instead of spending hundreds of thousands on a short-term HPP, invest in:
Premium store displays.
Clear and visible pricing.
Staff training to drive conversion.
Strategic promotions that run all year.
The Future of Travel Retail: Data-Driven Decision Making
The recent rallying cry from the industry’s retail leaders is that we must “adjust, evolve, or cease to be relevant.” It’s clear that brands and retailers must move away from vanity metrics and focus more on data-driven strategies. That means:
Analysing shopper behaviour – Understanding what drives conversion in-store versus the concourse.
Measuring ROI effectively – Looking beyond exposure numbers and evaluating real impact on sales.
Customising retail strategies – Tailoring activations (both in-store and HPPs) to reflect consumer habits, rather than one-size-fits-all campaigns.
Prioritising execution fundamentals – Ensuring that brands are consistently well-stocked, effectively merchandised, and correctly priced to remove friction from the purchase process.
Building long-term brand equity – Shoppers and consumers remember brands that deliver a seamless shopping experience, where they can easily find what they want, at a fair price, in a well-structured retail environment. This delivers much more value than a fleeting interaction with an HPP.
Final Verdict: Prioritise What Actually Drives Sales
HPPs look fantastic, create buzz, and make for great PR, but their real commercial impact is limited. Meanwhile, brands excelling in-store every single day will always deliver more value in the long term. Brand-building and awareness are essential, but not at the expense of long-term, in-store retail execution.
So, before the next brand activation budget is allocated, ask this: do you want to be seen, or do you want to sell?