The rise of secondhand shopping is hitting airports all over the globe!
From runway to runway ready: can you find your dream designer bag at the terminal?
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When Bella Hignett, a London-based stylist, embarked on a getaway to Portugal with friends last April, she had a specific request from a client in mind: a pre-owned Louis Vuitton Neverfull tote. However, the last place she anticipated discovering such an item – in the precise size and material her client desired – was within the confines of
"I arrived at the airport with ample time before my flight, so I decided to browse the shops and was thrilled to stumble upon it," Hignett recounts. Much to her client's delight, she boarded her return flight to England with an additional designer handbag in her possession. Even more remarkable? She acquired the piece for a mere $540, a significant saving compared to its $2,030 retail price for a new model.
While the presence of high-end luxury boutiques in airports has become almost commonplace, the Preloved boutique that Hignett serendipitously encountered represents a burgeoning trend of secondhand shopping within airport terminals.
This particular merchant at Lisbon Airport has been operating for just over a year and has already garnered significant popularity, according to Cláudia Carvalho, a spokesperson for Portugal Duty Free, the entity that manages the shop. Its constantly evolving inventory frequently includes authenticated items from prestigious brands, such as Bottega Veneta, Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton, Prada, and Saint Laurent, Carvalho notes, with price points ranging from $400 to upwards of 5 figures for highly sought-after acquisitions – including the iconic Birkin and Kelly bags from Hermès.
This robust demand mirrors the thriving market for pre-owned luxury goods, which industry analysts estimate reached a staggering $50 billion in 2023. Concurrently, the overall airport retail market is projected to reach $65 billion by the year 2030. These converging forces appear poised to continue as consumers increasingly seek high-quality, timeless fashion pieces, coupled with a desire for more accessible pricing and a reduced environmental footprint.
"Airports, serving as high-traffic hubs with a globally diverse audience, offer an ideal environment for the pre-loved luxury market to flourish and expand," asserts Diana Verde Nieto, cofounder of Positive Luxury, a consultancy specializing in sustainable luxury practices.
The first major airport to fully embrace this concept was Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport (YUL), with the opening of LXR, a boutique specializing in pre-owned handbags, in 2021. Today, travelers can discover luxury secondhand retail locations in a growing number of European destinations, including Copenhagen, Zurich, and Helsinki, Finland. In New York, LaGuardia Airport (LGA) recently introduced a Revolve boutique to its retail offerings.
"The selection of items available is in a state of constant flux and evolution," remarks Heidi Köpple, an executive at Zurich Airport (ZRH), in reference to their Pre-Loved Luxury store. "Now, each visit to the airport transforms into an exciting treasure hunt for unique finds."
This sentiment is echoed in Aruba, where Queen Beatrix International Airport (AUA) unveiled the ReLux Collection boutique in September, featuring a frequently updated assortment of approximately 50 purses, cross-body bags, and tote bags from renowned labels, such as Gucci and Louis Vuitton. "The majority of our pieces have been discontinued by the original luxury brands and have since become highly coveted classics on many travelers' wish lists," explains Lizah Jansen, a spokesperson for the retailer Avolta, which operates the concession. She also notes that sales figures are already significantly exceeding initial projections.
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