Airport Retail and the Psychology of Stress: What Makes Travellers Spend?

Airport Retail and the Psychology of Stress: What Makes Travellers Spend?

That overpriced chocolate bar at Gate 14 wasn’t about hunger—it was about control. In this in-depth essay, we explore how Mood Repair Theory explains airport retail behaviour, especially in high-stress domestic terminals, and what airports can learn from global best practice to meet travellers’ emotional needs.