F&B at Indian airports
As the country’s F&B retail sector at airports continues to grow, redefined by technological advancements, there is a lot to look forward to, for both travellers and brands alike
As per the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) report, India is set to become the third largest aviation market by 2020 with passenger traffic to increase to the tune of 420 million. This growth is fuelled by a spurt in domestic and international travellers and a growth in ancillary services. Airports have emerged as an important touch point for F&B brands to reach out to the steadily increasing number of travellers. The spends on business travel are estimated to increase to US$ 39.88 billion in 2026, while on leisure travel they’re forecast to rise to US$ 203.5 billion in 2026 as per the IBEF report. This growth is expected to be further augmented by the following existing and upcoming technological advancements, which help brands, retain customers via innovative opportunities.
Hot food vending: bringing a change
Despite having been in existence since the 1880s, vending machines are today being equipped with newer technologies to make them a preferred option amongst travellers. In fact, airports have today redefined themselves by offering hot, freshly prepared meals, along with conventional packaged foods. This is done by food stations which provide hot meals from the machine. Brands have, thus, found a way to give travellers the opportunity to grab a quick bite without having to wait in line and at the same time enjoy a hot meal. By augmenting the travellers’ experience using technology, a significant increase in operational efficiency, as well as brand presence, has been witnessed.
Alternative points of sale
Recent studies have found that 34 per cent of Indian consumers, especially millennials and the working segment, prefer on-the-go meals, with a majority of them favouring online ordering. Companies have taken stock of this shift in consumption patterns, as well as their increasing affinity towards experimenting with cuisines. As a result, the change has permeated into airports, with the rise of technology innovations such as self-service kiosks, also customised apps such as Food@ Gate. This innovative app lets travellers enjoy the convenience of ordering food from within an airport terminal itself, and having it delivered to them within 20 minutes, completely hassle-free at their boarding gate. Through this, brands have been able to connect with customers better, and streamline the process of ordering food, by enabling ‘ease of ordering’, and helping them enjoy the convenience of ordering food on the go.
Optimising robotics and artificial intelligence
As technology makes its way through the travel food retail sector, possibly one of the biggest innovations is the boost in the popularity and usage of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. The Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, introduced travellers to Mitri – the friendly robot that not only provides customers with a unique interactive experience, but also offers them food recommendations. Mitri is equipped with AI to be able to recognise a user’s previous visits, and suggest better recommendations based on their previous choices. The industry is also abuzz with talks of AI being developed in other applications to help the F&B sector at airports provide frequent flyers improved ease of ordering. This is just the beginning, where the future holds the possibility of robots who will service the customers with their orders with the help of biometric touch. This is still a far-fetched scenario where the R&D coupled with an investment in this department is the prima facie point of discussion.
A paradigm shift towards future trends
The simple idea of technology is to make your life simpler and more convenient. Whether it is something as basic as digital wallet payments for orders at outlets or something as amazing as gadget recognition, the moment you enter an area with a voice assistant to fulfil your orders on the go. The future is about your food preferences, food allergies, recommended food items as per your dietary requirements, everything served to you customised with the help of data analytics, RFID, wearable technology, voice recognition technology as well as mobile virtual cards for payments are all part of the ever developing spectrum of tech that you will be able to witness in the travel F&B retail industry.
The Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, introduced travellers to Mitri — the friendly robot that provides unique interactive experiences and food recommendations