Why Delta is opening a pop-up shop in JFK Airport

Travelers through John F. Kennedy International Airport this Thanksgiving holiday might notice a new shopping option. Delta Air Lines opens its first retail shop, playfully called “The Window Seat Shop,” today within Terminal 4. While anyone can browse inside the store, which includes goods from several international destinations, only Delta cardholders and SkyMiles loyalty members will be able to make a purchase. “Delta has been moving very aggressively into the premium space that goes beyond the airline category for quite some time,” said Alicia Tillman, a marketing veteran who joined Delta as chief marketing officer earlier this year after stints with fintech brand Capitolis and SAP. “We are really focused on innovating around the journey.” See all of Ad Age’s Breakout Brand Leaders here The activation, which was created with long-time Delta agency Wieden+Kennedy, will be open through the end of November and also have an e-commerce component. Items, including handwoven bags from Colombia, candleholders from Argentina, Brazilian jewelry, French chocolates and fleece jackets from South Korea, range in price from $10 to $3,500. The shop will also sell experiences such as seats to a New York Knicks game or a trip to Hawaii. Celebrities such as former NBA star Carmelo Anthony and TV personality Andy Cohen are helping Delta promote the pop-up, which will also be advertised with out-of-home placements throughout the terminal. Delta will be tracking how the shop engages with its 125 million SkyMile members and Delta AmEx cardholders, and will measure how many nonmembers convert and make purchases, Tillman said. Each purchase also contributes to points under the brand’s loyalty program, which could increase a customer’s annual rewards status. While the shop is only open for a limited period of time, the insights into customer behavior will help the brand determine if it should continue to lean into such experiences. The shop, which took roughly a year to come together, will operate as a test. “As we listen to our members, we feel this is something they’re going to respond to and appreciate, but you don’t really know until it goes live,” said Tillman. “We’ll see what comes of it if this is a space we’ll continue to lean into.” Many brands are rethinking their loyalty programs as they try to manage costs but also cement customer connections. Delta in particular angered its consumers earlier this year when it announced in September loyalty changes that would limit benefits for some fliers and make perks like airport lounge entry much harder to reach. After public outcry, CEO Ed Bastian said the company went “too far” with the changes. Tillman expects the new shop to provide valuable data given the number of travelers passing through JFK during the busy Thanksgiving week. Overall, the holiday season is forecast to be a busy one that competes with pre-pandemic levels. The AAA released its predictions on Monday—the organization said next week will be the “third-busiest” Thanksgiving travel period in over two decades and 2% higher than last year. From Wednesday, Nov. 22 through Sunday, Nov. 26, AAA expects there will be 55.4 million people traveling, which includes 49 million driving. For the duration of the Window Seat Shop’s operation from now until Nov. 30, Delta predicts 6.4 million passengers will be going through the airport, a significant increase from last year’s 5.7 million passengers and 2019’s 6.25 million, Tillman said.

Why Delta is opening a pop-up shop in JFK Airport

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