I recently flew to Portland, Maine to do a workshop. Unfortunately, my morning flight out of Denver was cancelled and I was re-routed through the Pittsburgh airport.  I was pleasantly surprised to find wonderful shopping at the layover in Pittsburgh. How ironic. As the actual process of getting on a plane gets to be more of a hassle (e.g., restrictions on carry-on baggage, long lines to get through security, full airplanes), the airports themselves have gotten more convenient.

I can buy underwear at Victoria’s Secret, Godiva chocolates, a pair of pants at the Gap, and a new lipstick shade at the Clinique counter, all while waiting for my flight to board. Something unheard of ten years ago. People are spending more time in airports and with that, comes more discretionary time and money. Retailers know when they have a captive audience.   

BTW–I ended up treating myself to a new necklace at the Brighton store. Utterly delightful to spend 30 minutes trying on jewelry, with no one in the store, waited on by a friendly salesperson.