Spontaneity on the rise in global travel retail

New research among global shoppers in travel retail highlights a rising trend toward unplanned, emotionally driven, spontaneous purchases among airport shoppers across all regions and

demographic segments. The research, just published by Swiss-based travel retail research agency m1nd-set, reveals a notable shift in global travel retail purchasing behaviour towards greater impulse driven purchases. According to m1nd-set, the growing dominance of emotional, environmental, and human triggers in the decision-making process, creates a powerful opportunity for brands and retailers.

Nearly a third of travel retail shoppers globally now make purchases on impulse, the research reveals. This represents a sharp increase from just over one in five in 2019, emphasising a marked

global trend observed across all key shopper demographics, including gender, age, region, and travel purpose. This confirms a broader evolution in shopper behaviour, according to m1nd-set,

where travellers are increasingly open to making purchase decisions in the moment, heavily influenced by their emotional state, the unique airport environment, compelling in-store activations, and more personalised interaction with sales staff.

“Spontaneity is becoming a dominant mode of decision-making in travel retail,” commented Dr. Peter Mohn, CEO and Owner of m1nd-set. “As travellers become more emotionally driven and less rigid in their purchase planning, there is a huge opportunity for brands and retailers to curate immersive, emotionally engaging experiences that stimulate unplanned buying behaviour. The ability to influence spontaneous decision-making is now a key competitive differentiator in the highly dynamic and competitive airport retail environment” Mohn added.

This evolution in purchasing behaviour is influenced by a range of interconnected factors. The emotional mindset of the traveller plays a fundamental role; the journey itself creates a unique

psychological context where travellers are often in a more self-indulgent frame of mind. This emotional state amplifies the desire for self-reward and significantly increases openness to spontaneous, unplanned purchases, according to m1nd-set.

“The airport environment is purposefully designed to trigger impulse buying” Mohn continued. “With its high-impact merchandising, immersive brand activations, intentional lighting, and controlled flow, the airport retail space is designed and curated to attract attention and stimulate emotional and sensory responses.” Mohn added that these physical and psychological design elements work in tandem to convert browsing into buying, often before the shopper has made a conscious decision to purchase.

The in-store experience itself has emerged as the most important driver of purchase in 2025, the research reveals. While value and suitability for a specific need remain critical, experiential elements, such as product discovery, sampling, brand storytelling, and physical interaction, now play an equal or greater role in prompting spontaneous purchases. The research reveals that 46% of global shoppers cite the in-store experience as their primary reason for making a purchase in travel retail, a significant rise compared to pre-Covid findings in 2019, when this factor ranked behind value and product suitability.

The research also reveals gender and generational differences. Female shoppers are more likely than men to shop spontaneously, with 32% reporting impulse-driven behaviour in 2025, up from 22% in 2019. Similarly, Millennials have shown the strongest shift, with a 10-point increase in impulse purchasing. Gen Z shoppers, meanwhile, are the most impulsive overall, while Baby Boomers are the least likely to buy spontaneously. Regional variation is also significant, according to m1nd-set.

Travellers from Europe and the Americas are the most likely to purchase spontaneously in travel retail, with both regions reporting a 32% and 30% impulse purchase rate respectively in 2025, up from 24% in 2019. Shoppers from Asia Pacific also tend to make more spontaneous purchases, increasing from 17% in 2019 to 25% in 2025, m1nd-set reveals.

The role of sales staff is another critical factor in influencing spontaneous purchases, according to m1nd-set. Despite a decline in interaction rates since the immediate post-Covid period, staff

engagement continues to have a powerful impact on shopper behaviour. The research demonstrates that while only about half of shoppers interact with sales staff, those who do report overwhelmingly positive outcomes. An impressive 73% of those who engage with staff say it positively influenced their decision to purchase. Most strikingly, 15% of shoppers state they would not have made a purchase at all had they not interacted with a staff member. According to m1nd-set, this reinforces the need for retailers to invest in well-trained, proactive staff who understand how to tailor recommendations and create personalised experiences that resonate with the emotional mindset of the traveller.

“Exclusivity and convenience are key impulse triggers, especially for Boomers, women, and Gen Z shoppers, driving quick, emotion-led purchases in travel retail” Mohn added.

“Brands and retailers should continue to prioritise emotionally engaging, sensory-rich, and personalised experiences that align with the spontaneous nature of today’s global travel retail

shopper. Investment in proactive sales staff, digital signage and prompts, exclusive products, and convenience-based merchandising and store layouts will be key to capturing the attention and

spend of the evolving GTR shopper profile” Mohn concluded.

The article Spontaneity on the rise in global travel retail first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.

The post Spontaneity on the rise in global travel retail appeared first on Travel Daily News