Jewish World Review

JWR's Pundits
World Editorial
Cartoon Showcase

Mallard Fillmore

Michael Barone
Mona Charen
Linda Chavez
Greg Crosby
Larry Elder
Don Feder
Suzanne Fields
James Glassman
Paul Greenberg
Bob Greene
Betsy Hart
Nat Hentoff
David Horowitz
Marianne Jennings
Michael Kelly
Mort Kondracke
Ch. Krauthammer
Lawrence Kudlow
Dr. Laura
John Leo
David Limbaugh
Michelle Malkin
Jackie Mason
Chris Matthews
Michael Medved
MUGGER
Kathleen Parker
Wes Pruden
Sam Schulman
Amity Shlaes
Roger Simon
Tony Snow
Thomas Sowell
Cal Thomas
Jonathan S. Tobin
Ben Wattenberg
George Will
Bruce Williams
Walter Williams
Mort Zuckerman

Consumer Reports


Dell says sales flying at first-ever airport store

http://www.jewishworldreview.com | (KRT) You're waiting for a flight at the airport and have had your fill of snacks and souvenirs. Want to buy a computer?

That's what Chris Karam did Wednesday morning at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, while waiting for a connection to Texarkana. He bought a $2,000 Dell laptop and printer for his college-bound daughter on his way home from a visit to Minnesota.

Karam's wife waited with the carry-on luggage as he and his son and daughter perused the display models and questioned the sales representative.

"We'd done a lot of research before, but we hadn't had a chance to see one until today," Karam said. "There's no Dell store in Texarkana."

There aren't many Dell stores anywhere. Austin, Texas-based Dell Inc., the world's leading computer maker and a pioneer in online sales, began to sell in retail locations only last year. The company has about 60 kiosks in malls in nine states, but the company says its kiosk at Gate C7 is the first computer sales outlet in any airport.

Karam, chief executive of Christus St. Michael Health System, travels every few months but says he rarely shops at airports.

Donate to JWR

"I bought a briefcase one time, but that's about it," he said, while the Dell salesperson completed the online order form.

The company says it was lured by the airport's busy foot traffic and passenger demographics.

On average, 150,000 people pass through D/FW's terminals each day, and passenger dwell times are about 90 minutes. The kiosk is just outside a newsstand and gift store.

Two-thirds of the passengers are between the ages of 25 and 49, and more than half have household incomes of $70,000 or more.

"That's the kind of demographics Dell and other companies are looking for," said Pat Gleason, the airport's vice president of revenue management.

This isn't the first time travelers have had a chance to peruse high-tech equipment. Over the years, D/FW has hosted product displays by Intel Corp. and Microsoft Corp. But this is the first time such products have been for sale.

Irving, Texas-based marketing services firm Airport Access Inc. developed the deal with Dell. The firm says it hopes to bring similar kiosks for cellphone manufacturers and other consumer electronics to the airport.

Gleason, whose department oversees concessions, sees kiosks as a way to shoehorn more retail sites into the airport and bring in more revenue.

Sales from restaurants, bars and gift shops represent about 25 percent of the airport's nonaviation revenue, which has become increasingly important as D/FW looks for ways to strengthen its financial base.

Travelers through D/FW spend about $6.50 per person in the airport's restaurants and shops - mostly on food. Retail sales per passenger are less than $2.50.

Dell's least expensive item on display is an ink-jet printer for $80. The most expensive is a fully loaded desktop computer for $1,800.

Even so, Dell says its sales have been strong since the kiosk began a test run in the spring.

"It's not unusual for our sales reps to have to juggle three and four customers at a time," said Antoine Johnson, national sales manager for Dell Direct Store. "We've been very pleased."

Selling a computer in an airport takes fast work. Passengers spend about 15 minutes with a sales representative, compared with about 45 minutes at a mall-based kiosk.

"People don't get off a plane expecting to buy a computer," Johnson said.

But the kiosk caught the attention of San Antonio resident Warren Kaufman, who was connecting through D/FW on his way to Los Angeles on vacation.

"I'm interested in a new computer, and my mom has a Dell," he said while looking over one of several models on display. "If they have the right answers and the right price, why not buy it here?"

Every weekday JewishWorldReview.com publishes what many in Washington and in the media consider "must reading." Sign up for the daily JWR update. It's free. Just click here.


Comment by clicking here.

Up

© 2003, The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services