From: http://www.ocregister.com/ocregister/homepage/abox/article_1615409.php Sunday, March 11, 2007 First-class shopping at John Wayne Airport By HEATHER IGNATIN The Orange County Register With her flight delayed, Ann Robinson wandered into Hudson News and spent $800 on two dozen books. The store, beyond security checkpoints at John Wayne Airport, recently doubled its selection of reading material. "I was hitting the jackpot," said Robinson of Port-land, Ore., who plans to use the items as Christmas and birthday gifts. "They had a wonderful selection." Avid shoppers are filling their bags at JWA. This month, the airport opened a Life is good and Sunglass Hut, capping an 18-month renovation of its 26,110 square feet of retail and dining options. John Wayne is among a growing number of airports across the country that are updating their terminals with big names and upscale retailers. Increasingly they are serving up local flavor, healthful alternatives and celebrity chefs. >From California to New York, airports feel more like malls than no-frill depots. You can buy a pair of designer sunglasses at John Wayne, do a wine tasting in Sacramento, get a manicure in Seattle, play a round of golf in Dallas or even pick up a suit in Detroit. "We are giving ourselves a face-lift. It's exciting. It's a place a lot of people come. We want to live up to our image and offer new products," airport spokeswoman Jenny Wedge said. And those new offerings, including a hip restaurant, are keeping cash registers humming and customers happy. In 2005-06, John Wayne passengers spent $29.4 million on food and merchandise, up from $18.6 million in 2001-02. The airport, like others around the country, gets a share of the profits. In 2005-06, that share was $5.2 million. "It's getting much better," said traveler Brian Horowitz, 42, of Mission Viejo about John Wayne's new tenants. "There is more things to do." "In the last several years every airport has tried to bring in a lot more stores and quality restaurants," said Pauline Armbrust, president and CEO of Armbrust Aviation Group, publisher of Airport Revenue News. "They've all made quite a bit of an effort, from large to small. It's a big trend." Since 9/11, revenues have risen, in part, because the average passenger traveling domestically now spends an hour or longer waiting for a flight after they've passed through security checkpoints, said Armbrust, who added that transactions for sit-down restaurants have particularly risen. Before 9/11, people waited 30 to 45 minutes. EVOLVING Twenty years ago, it wasn't unusual to find terminals with low-quality, high-priced food and limited retail, Armbrust said. But that's all changed, with more vendors competing to sell products to buyers who have more money and more time. To succeed, "Concepts have to grow and be fresh all the time," said Josh Howe, vice president of CBR Inc., a Minnesota company that runs stores in more than a dozen airports. Among John Wayne's upgrades: replacing its outdated full-service restaurant with Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge by local celebrity chef David Wilhelm; phasing out a mom-and-pop store that sold children's clothes; renovating its food court; adding Wolfgang Puck Express to-go kiosks; installing a more extensive bookstore and a news wall. "The market really drives what works well at the airport," said Wedge, adding that 9.6 million people flew through John Wayne last year. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport just finished adding more than 30 stores and restaurants, including a Body Shop, a Borders Books & Music and a seafood restaurant. Sacramento's airport has brought in about a dozen concessions in the past three years, with a Brooks Bros. expected to open by early fall. Others have big projects in the works. Denver's airport is planning a retail center that could have a barbershop, restaurants, dry cleaners and other services on 17 acres at the airport entrance. Detroit Metro Airport plans to open 50,000 square feet of new concession space as part of its north-terminal project. "All airports these days are trying to increase nonairline revenue," said Chuck Cannon, a spokesman for Denver International Airport. "Any time you can increase competition and keep airlines healthy, that's good for the traveling public." While shopping has come a long way at JWA, it's sky's the limit at some international airports. In Dubai, the airport sells gold bars, diamonds and other precious gems, along with offering a luxury hotel inside the security area. In Amsterdam, the Netherlands, the airport has a casino. BUYERS On a recent weekday, Patrick and June Schiada of Dallas bought a $16 purple T-shirt at John Wayne's Life is good shop. They needed to bring something home to their 15-year-old daughter, Shauna, and had two hours to kill. "I thought the design was really cute," June Schiada said, adding, "It didn't necessarily say 'California.' " Cathy Swift of Dallas usually ends up with at least an hour before her flights, so she likes to wander through stores. "The luxury is not on the plane," said Swift, who travels to Orange County once a month for her job at Cal State Long Beach. "You need to take advantage of it when you are in the airport." The options If you're spending time in an airport, there are cool things to do and buy, and places to eat. John Wayne Airport: Sip a mojito, eat a Kobe beef sandwich or snack on Parmesan chips at Oasis Grill & Sky Lounge; buy a logo T-shirt, baseball hat or dog leash at Life is good; grab a sandwich or salad at Brioche Doree Cafe & Bakery; buy designer spectacles at Sunglass Hut. McCarran International Airport (Las Vegas): Get some air and a chair massage at one of three Oxygen Bar & Spas; play the slot machines; work out at 24 Hour Fitness; buy a purse at Brighton Collectibles. Sacramento International Airport: Do a wine tasting and eat appetizers at Vino Volo; have a beer at Gordon Biersch. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport: Get a manicure/pedicure at Butter London; buy handmade glass, furniture and jewelry at the Fireworks store; eat seafood at Anthony's at SeaTac; pick up high-tech travel clothes at ExOfficio; grab a book at Borders Books & Music; buy some bath salts at the Body Shop. Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport: Get in a round of golf at its 18-hole course; stop by La Bodega Winery; get a room at the Grand Hyatt in Terminal D. Detroit Metro Airport: Relax at its oxygen spa and lounge; get a room at the Westin Hotel; buy a suit at Brooks Bros.; pick up some new luggage at Tumi; get a made-to-order pretzel at Twist and Shout Pretzel; enjoy a gourmet peanut butter and jelly sandwich at PB &J. Denver International Airport: Buy gifts at Mile High Harley-Davidson; get a haircut and massage at Concourse B; rent a DVD and player at InMotion Pictures; eat a barbecued turkey sandwich at Red Rocks Bar. Dubai International Airport:Shop at Hermhs, Hugo Boss, Lacoste, Cartier, Mont Blanc, Guess, Ferragamo, Lancel, Swarovski and Givenchy; stay at its luxury hotel that has Italian sheets, marble bathrooms and a health club; buy diamonds, pearls and other expensive gems. Heathrow Airport (London): Pick up a Bally handbag; buy skin-care products at the Body Shop; get some reading material at Borders; shop at Burberry, Tod's, Gucci and Swatch; buy your wife a watch at Cartier; pick up a new lipstick at MAC; get a sandwich at Pret a Manger; find a dessert at Krispy Kreme; buy the latest CD at Virgin; get a massage.