Hudson to bring frictionless shopping to Colorado Springs Airport

A leading travel retailer will open three different high-tech stores at a small airport.

Hudson, a Dufry company, will serve a new travel location, Colorado Springs Airport, through a seven-year contract to operate three new stores. The stores, two travel convenience and one specialty retail, will be individually designed and offer locally sourced products, as well as automated self-service and checkout options.

Hudson will begin operating at the airport on Sep. 1, 2022, with construction for the three new stores starting in 2023. The three stores – one pre-security and two post-security – will occupy more than 4,700 square feet of combined concessions space. Details on each location follow:

Hudson – Colorful Colorado: Hudson – Colorful Colorado is a locally-themed travel convenience concept equipped with self-checkout and mobile POS, offering assortment of books, electronics, food and beverage products, as well as local gifts and souvenirs, and branded shop-in-shops from Herschel Supply Co. and Sunglass Hut.

Hudson Nonstop: The Hudson Nonstop travel convenience concept provides frictionless shopping for essentials, food and beverage products, and local goods, Customers can select goods to purchase and then exit, all without stopping to pay.

The Atrium At Colorado Springs: Featuring a collection of local, regional, national, and global brands, The Atrium At Colorado Springs is a one-stop specialty retail store with branded shop-in-shops inside.

Mobile POS is available in addition to two Hudson Automated Retail units affixed directly to the store exterior for 24/7 retailing, offering travel convenience items as well as products from Apple, Beats, Brookstone, and The Art of Shaving.

[Read more: Travel retailer’s newest store model is an interactive vending machine]

All three stores will feature “Instagrammable” backdrops, and each storefront will feature wrap-around designs and imagery that recreates recognizable Colorado sites, such as Pike’s Peak.

Inside, the interactive viewing experience will include selected architectural finishes and accents, color palettes, bright lighting, and themed graphics across the walls and up onto the ceilings. All these design elements are meant to promote selfie photo opportunities.

The stores will also introduce additional brands through a rotating incubator program. In partnership with Colorado Springs entrepreneur Linda Weise and the Community Cultural Collective, local artists, businesses, and craftspeople will have dedicated spaces to display their work, with the offering continually evolving and expanding.

This localized assortment will also include seasonal products specifically curated for the city’s public events, including the Cañon City Music & Blossom Festival and the Cripple Creek Ice Festival.

“As a thriving leisure destination, Colorado Springs is an exciting new addition to our footprint as we work to diversify our markets while continuing to transform the travel experience,” said Brian Quinn, executive VP and Deputy CEO of Hudson. “Thank you to our new airport partners and the local community for welcoming us to this city and for having confidence in Hudson’s ability to deliver a retail portfolio that seamlessly combines local retailing with innovative, cutting-edge concepts. We look forward to building a strong partnership and leaving a lasting impact on travelers here for years to come.”

“This new partnership is not only an exciting way to build the retail landscape at the Colorado Springs Airport, but is a collaboration that will benefit the community,” said Greg Phillips, director of aviation, Colorado Springs Airport. “Our airport has grown tremendously in the past year, and we’re continuing to grow along with our community. We are eagerly anticipating Hudson creating a positive travel experience for our passengers.”

Hudson operates more than 1,000 stores in airports, commuter hubs, landmarks, and tourist locations.