Auckland Airport has extended its online click-and-collect marketplace The Mall to domestic travellers.
The airport says the move brings “some of the shopping experience” of the international terminal to domestic travellers.
Passengers flying out of Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal will be able to start accessing brands and products from international terminal retailers through the airport’s online click-and-collect marketplace, The Mall.
“For New Zealanders, shopping, whether it’s purchasing a new perfume or stocking up the liquor cabinet, is strongly associated with the excitement of travel,” said Jonathan Good, general manager technology and marketing at Auckland Airport.
“The impact of Covid-19 on Auckland Airport and our retail partners has been significant, but we are moving fast to support new ways for our retailers to do business and connect with their customers.”
For the first time, domestic travellers will be able to access The Mall’s online shopping platform, which gives travellers the opportunity purchase “airport exclusive products” normally only available to international travellers when flying within New Zealand. Tax and duty will be payable on purchases.
“We work in close partnership with our terminal retailers, and this investment in The Mall was about providing the digital infrastructure to support their success,” said Good.
“Even though this was a move into a different market the response from our retailers has been great. They straight away understood this was an opportunity to stay connected with their customers while there is limited international travel.”
Launched in 2018, The Mall is an online marketplace where travellers can choose from about 5000 products from retail stores based at the airport through a click-and-collect service.
“Before the outbreak Covid-19, The Mall had been growing strongly and faster than all our projections and the customer feedback scores we were getting suggested it was really resonating with travellers. We knew that 80 per cent of airport purchases are planned in advance of travel, so the ability to browse and select online made The Mall appealing to travellers,” said Auckland Airport’s head of Omnichannel, Jayne Wear.
“There’s no doubt the pandemic has been an extremely challenging time for the airport retail industry but in the wider retail space Covid-related lockdowns have turbo-charged the shift to online shopping. We needed to harness that trend to enhance our Airport experience for domestic travellers and benefit our airport retailers.”
At launch there will be product ranges across the beauty and fashion categories from Saben, NZH Health & Beauty, Walker & Hall, and Emirates Team New Zealand. In the coming weeks more retailers will be coming on board, including luxury brands Michael Kors and Tumi, says the airport in a press release.
How does The Mall, domestic experience work?
- Customers can browse and purchase from www.themall.co.nz before travel.
- Unlike international terminal shopping, purchase prices will include any tax and duty on the product.
- Pick up purchases from Auckland Airport’s domestic terminal The Mall Collection Point.
