Enhancing sustainable passenger experience through duty-free shopping at King Fahd Airport: A multimodal perspective

Abstract

With the increasing significance of travel retail within the global tourism industry, understanding the effects of duty-free shopping experiences on traveler well-being and brand perceptions has become crucial for enhancing customer satisfaction and engagement. This study examines the relationships between duty-free shopping experiences, traveler well-being, and brand perceptions at King Fahd International Airport. Utilizing a quantitative research approach, data were collected from 412 passengers who had recently engaged with duty-free shops. The study incorporated four key experiential dimensions—pragmatic, sociability, hedonic, and usability experiences—alongside well-being, brand engagement, brand experience, and word-of-mouth (WOM) advocacy. The findings indicated positive associations between well-being and pragmatic, hedonic, and usability experiences. Moreover, well-being significantly influenced brand engagement and brand experience, but not WOM. Brand engagement was found to be a significant predictor of brand experience, while it had no significant effect on WOM. Additionally, WOM did not significantly influence brand experience. These insights contribute to a comprehensive understanding of the intricate interplay between shopping experiences, well-being, and brand-related outcomes, providing valuable guidance for airport retailers and marketers to optimize traveler satisfaction and engagement.