After weeks of operational uncertainty, the government shutdown is finally over — and airports are moving from pause to performance.
With the holiday surge now underway, the question isn’t if passengers will return, but how effectively airports and concessionaires can capture their renewed appetite to spend.
Shutdown Over, Spending Up
Shutdown is over just at the right time. If we look at previous years, there is a good hope of higher spending during this holiday season.
Data reveals an interesting contrast:
• Orders fell 13.3% year-over-year
• Net sales rose 12.1%
• Average Transaction Value (ATV) surged 29.4%
Even with fewer transactions, travelers spent more per visit — particularly through digital channels.
BTS data shows that passenger travel growth will be similar to last year’s growth. That is the reason concessionaires should focus on maximizing the transaction value instead of the transaction count. You would see that 2025’s traffic to airports have been like the one in 2024.
The takeaway: Digital ordering isn’t just convenient — it’s becoming the dominant driver of airport retail revenue.
Travelers with longer dwell times (due to schedule resets) are more likely to explore, order digitally, and choose premium or bundled items.
Holiday Behavior: Comfort, Convenience & Indulgence
Insights from the transactions and order data confirm what many operators suspect, but few quantify: during the holiday period, menu preferences shift sharply toward comfort and convenience.
Top-performing categories, Nov–Jan:
• Hot beverages & baked goods → +31%
• Warm meals & comfort dishes → +19%
• Festive bundles & gifting SKUs → +22% higher ATV than standard items
For concessionaires, that means menu engineering matters more than ever:
• Highlight “comfort clusters” (warm meals, premium drinks, treats)
• Feature limited-time festive offers in digital channels
• Adjust staff and promotions for peak dwell-time (2–6 PM remains the top spend window)
When the right product meets the right traveler at the right time — revenue follows naturally.
From Data to Delight
Even during disruption, premium lounges and curated spaces outperformed standard concessions by up to 18% in sales share, proving that travelers will pay for quality and speed.
Airports that extend this “lounge-level experience” — through smarter digital menus, packaging, and hospitality design — can transform operational recovery into commercial success.
The shutdown may have slowed travel, but it hasn’t slowed spending intent.
Now’s the moment to rethink menus, visibility, and engagement strategies to finish the year strong.
Final Takeaway
The end of the shutdown isn’t the end of the story — it’s the start of a new phase of data-driven growth.
As passenger traffic rebounds, airports that connect digital insights with real-world service will lead the next wave of non-aeronautical revenue growth.
As we move toward the Thanksgiving traffic, the key will be anticipating traveler needs — convenience, comfort, and a sense of home. Whether it’s smarter menu design, bundled offers, or digital ordering, these small moves make a big difference to passenger experience and profitability.
Travel is back — and so is the appetite to spend.
• “Check your top 3 selling items last December — and see which ones deserve a comeback this year.”
• “Try a limited-time festive offer — it’s the fastest way to boost engagement before year-end.”
• “Encourage your teams to plan for peak hours: 11 AM–2 PM is still king during holiday travel.”
Upcoming Webinar
Nik Stephaney and Kim Neely are holding a discussion together early next month and sharing trends/insights on traveler’s ordering behavior during Thanksgiving/Christmas. More information will come out soon. Visit the page to know more about speakers, topic, and put this webinar in your calendar.
Kim Neely is a seasoned leader in airport digital innovation, with extensive experience in self-service kiosks and contactless ordering.
Nik Stephney is a digital strategist currently at Servy, where she helps shape airport guest engagement through cutting-edge self-service kiosks and contactless ordering systems.
About This Newsletter
It is our vision to provide actionable insights into the digital ordering industry every month. We are building the ecosystem to support digital ordering. With more than 25 million transactions, 367 POS Integrations, 90 Airports, and 139 Concessionaires, we are in a position to crunch this data and bring it to you.
We are looking to hear your opinion if you are associated directly or indirectly with airport developers, airports, or concessionaires, mall operators, sports arena/stadium operators.
Previous Episodes of this newsletter are listed below:
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/october-2025-airport-digital-order-trends-poweredbyservy-jzmne/
Editorial Desk: Nik Stephney, Vinay Mehendi
