Breaking the dwell-time ceiling at one of Europe's busiest hubs
Frankfurt Airport set out to grow non-aeronautical revenue at a point when passenger expectations were moving faster than airport retail could follow. Travellers wanted choice, price transparency and the ability to buy before they arrived, none of which a concession-by-concession estate can deliver.
Three constraints stood in the way. The commercial estate ran as operational silos, each retailer with its own systems and stock. Product data lived in dozens of places and formats. And the customer journey broke at every handover between booking, terminal and store, which made a consistent or personalised experience impossible.
Fraport's objective was a single digital front door to the whole airport: one place to shop, browse or book any airport service, connected to the systems already running the estate rather than replacing them.
About Frankfurt Airport
Frankfurt Airport is Germany’s primary international airport and one of the busiest hubs in Europe. Located in Frankfurt, Germany’s fifth-largest city, the airport is renowned for its operational excellence and commitment to enhancing the passenger experience. As a key player in global aviation, Frankfurt Airport continues to innovate and lead the way in digital transformation. The airport serves as a major hub for international travel, connecting millions of passengers annually to destinations around the world. Fraport AG, the company that manages Frankfurt Airport, is dedicated to delivering world-class infrastructure, exceptional customer service, and sustainable growth through continuous innovation and digital solutions.
"Together with AOE-Omnevo, we faced the enormous challenge of transferring our offering into the digital era. The result is a unique solution for the travel and retail industries that unites complex on- and offline services and provides the optimal travel experience for our customers, regardless of whether they want to shop, merely inform themselves, or use our numerous services."
An end-to-end marketplace, integrated in twelve months
Fraport partnered with Omnevo to build a fully integrated e-commerce platform connecting passengers to the airport around the clock. The marketplace went live within twelve months, integrating more than 30 systems including CRM, product information management and the Fraport loyalty programme.
The result unites hundreds of retailers and thousands of brands in one catalogue, with a single checkout and consistent product data. Passengers shop at home, en route, or up to 45 minutes before departure, with collection or delivery. Retailers keep their own operations and gain a digital shelf they could not have built individually.
Commercial priorities
- Stabilise and grow NAR. Extend the sales window beyond dwell time and reduce dependence on aeronautical income.
- One journey, every touchpoint. Consistent pricing, product data and personalisation from booking to fulfilment.
- Scale without re-integration. Add retailers and categories without a new project each time.
A marketplace that outlasted the downturn
- Live in twelve months, with more than 30 systems integrated. Delivery at this level of integration complexity is the exception in airport retail, not the norm.
- Sales window extended to 24/7, with a purchase cutoff 45 minutes before departure. Commercially, that is the difference between a dwell-time business and an always-open one.
- Hundreds of retailers, thousands of brands trading through one storefront, with loyalty and targeted campaigns running across the estate.
- Contract extended for five additional years in 2020, agreed during the steepest downturn in modern aviation.
- Higher conversion and stronger customer retention through personalised recommendation and loyalty integration.
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