EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Hudson (NYSE: HUD), a travel-experience leader with more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks and tourist destinations across North America, has been anticipating the needs of travelers for the past 30 years. Today, the company announces its newest venture with a revamped and innovative store design concept that positions Hudson for future growth, while enhancing the airport experience by evolving to meet the demands of today’s consumers. With a portfolio of iconic stores that have established a foundation for the Hudson brand among its loyal travelers, the company is unveiling the next generation of its stores to better suit airports and passengers alike.
“Our mission is to reflect the changes in the travel industry that passengers have come to expect,” said Brian Quinn, EVP and Chief Operating Officer. “Our refreshed design concept will grab customers at the door and draw them all the way into the back of the store – giving us the opportunity to customize each store to make it more enticing to travelers and profitable for our travel-hub partners.”
Launching in key markets starting in early 2020 as part of a phased opening, the elevated next generation of Hudson stores will feature digital displays that allow for localized and enticing consumer content controlled internally by the corporate team. The flexible store model can be adapted at any time to meet the local needs of airport travelers, with interchangeable modular walls for a smooth transition between retail offerings. From creating seasonal displays, enhancing select product categories, and making swift changes to put the latest sporting swag on display for the big game, the Traveler’s Best Friend can make it happen! Not to mention, after successful pilots, Hudson’s next generation store concept will include self-check-out stations to create quick and stress-free transactions for its always on-the-go travelers.
“As the world of travel changes and evolves with new technology, it is our obligation to evolve the product offerings, transactional capabilities, and overall store model,” said Roger Fordyce, Chief Executive Officer. “In addition to the unique digital elements, our next generation store concept is the perfect platform to not only expand Hudson’s current retail offerings and partnership categories, but more importantly allows product mix and transactional flexibility to evolve as our customers and trends evolve.”
In addition to Hudson’s next generation store rollout, they will also introduce its new consumer-facing mobile application in mid-2020. The “Hudson Blue” app allows its loyal travelers to connect with their Hudson store from their mobile device and gather insight on products and promotions at any given time. Staying true to its purpose of being the Traveler’s Best Friend, Hudson’s consumer application will also provide features to ease the stress of travel outside their stores.
To learn more about Hudson’s journey and next generation store concept, visit www.hudsongroup.com.
About Hudson
Hudson, a Dufry Company, is a travel experience company turning the world of travel into a world of opportunity by being the Traveler’s Best Friend in more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist locations. Our 10,000+ team members care for travelers as friends at our travel convenience, specialty retail, duty free and food and beverage destinations. At the intersection of travel and retail, we partner with landlords and vendors, and take innovative, commercial approaches to deliver exceptional value. To learn more about how we can make your location a travel destination, please visit us at hudsongroup.com.