The study analyses how shopping behaviours change according to the travelling companion type.

New research from m1nd-set highlights how travelling companions significantly influence airport shopping behaviour, shifting purchasing decisions from individual consumer habits to group dynamics.

The study, focused on what m1nd-set describes as the “social shopper”, analyses the behaviour of travellers flying with partners and families, colleagues, and friends, examining motivations, spending patterns and interaction with retail staff.

According to the research, travel trends in 2026 are increasingly shaped by “intentional” or purpose-driven trips, with companion type playing a key role in how travellers engage with airport retail.

m1nd-set Owner and CEO Peter Mohn commented: “Among the core outcomes of the research, we see that airport shoppers do not behave as isolated consumers when travelling with others.

“They tend to operate more as temporary social units whose shopping motivations, spend patterns, planning behaviour, and conversion dynamics are heavily dictated by their companions.”

He added: “From the moment a group steps into the airport, the companion type becomes a powerful catalyst for behavioural change, transforming the entire airport retail journey from initial footfall to final basket size.”

m1nd-set assesses how social dynamics boost spend

According to m1nd-set research, partner and family travellers account for 43% of all duty free buyers, making them the largest companion segment. While partner & families are highly value-conscious (27%) and convenience-driven (21%), representing the group most likely to enter a store specifically hunting for promotions (26%), they are by no means purely budget shoppers.

The findings shows that families show the strongest interest in alcohol purchases (24%) and command the highest spend in premium categories such as jewellery & watches (US$290), beauty (US$118) and haircare (US$107). They also dominate purchases in core categories such as food (with 40% buying in) and tobacco (18%).

Travellers accompanied by colleagues, representing 14% of buyers, demonstrate the highest conversion rate at 68% and the highest average spend at US$141.

m1nd-set Owner and CEO Peter Mohn explained how travellers tend to operate more as “temporary social units” whose shopping motivations, spend patterns, planning behaviour, and conversion dynamics are heavily dictated by their companions.

They also show the highest tendency to make beauty purchases (56%) and spend significantly more than any other segment in electronics (US$281) and clothing & accessories (US$184), the research reveals.

Those travelling with friends, who account for 12% of buyers, have the lowest average spend (US$127), also below the global average (US$133), as well as the lowest planning levels. However, they are the most spontaneous shoppers in the airport, with 32% purchasing on impulse, according to m1nd-set.

The research underlines the continuing importance of staff interaction, despite the growth of digital touchpoints. Travellers with colleagues are the most likely to engage with sales staff (57%), while staff influence on purchase decisions is highest among business travellers (80%). Nearly 30% of travellers with colleagues said they purchased a different product than originally intended following staff interaction.

The findings also underline the continuing importance of staff interaction – despite the growth of digital touchpoints.

m1nd-set said the findings point to opportunities for retailers to rethink store layouts by introducing “social zones” or hybrid retail-lounge concepts that allow companions to remain together while shopping.

Mohn explained: “We highly recommend that duty free stakeholders rethink store layouts to create social zones or hybrid lounges to mitigate the ‘social guilt’ of dragging companions along, effectively removing the social barrier to shopping.

“By targeting group influencers with ‘companion perks’ and treating them as guests, retailers can transform the presence of a companion from a hurdle into a valuable asset and witness to a shared experience.”

He concluded: “The shift towards more purpose-driven travel is also an important trend not to be ignored. We believe retailers need to move beyond traditional ‘storytelling’ towards more ‘story-living’ experiential retail. This shift requires curating a product mix with deep narratives and limited-edition items that provide “instagrammable” moments for social sharing.”

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