The election is over. Tell us how you feel about the outcome. Online poll from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11
Techie Toys Hit Target BWI
By Christina Stanley
Airport Wireless expects to have 30 stores in U.S. airports by the end of the year. (Photo Courtesy of Airport Wireless)
The newest store on Baltimore/ Washington Thurgood Marshall Airport’s (BWI) horizon will help keep travelers connected, boost their productivity and entertain them — all at the same time.
Airport Wireless — featuring consumer electronics from toys for tots to tools for titans — will debut two new stores at BWI’s Terminal A/B and Terminal D in March.
“We’re a gadget-centric society,” explained Iris Goldschmidt, president of Airport Wireless, which is headquartered in Wellington, Fl. “Unlike Best Buy, we’re focused on the needs of the business traveler.”
Techies and techie-wannabes will be able to sample every accessory on the market for their PDA, DVD, laptop or cell phone at one of the BWI 800-square-foot stores. Prices range from $2.99 for accessories to $899 for a DVD GPS Navigator unit.
The Airport Wireless concept was hatched in 1997 in a small kiosk at Philadelphia International Airport where Goldschmidt sold cellular phones. The business now sells 1,500 products and expects to have 30 stores in major airports throughout the United States by the end of the year.
Airport Wireless is a family venture. Goldschmidt’s daughter, Ilene Berman, gave up her marketing job and sold her Corvette to join her mother as partner and vice president of marketing.
Goldschmidt’s son, David, is vice president of sales and in charge of corporate training. Her son-in-law is a major player, as is her husband, Jack, who handles the company’s legal matters.
Berman said they chose BWI because it’s a tech-savvy area and, being committed to the business traveler, they felt the company was hitting its target market here.
The four counties in the Baltimore-Washington Corridor are among the most technologically advanced in the country, according to a 2005 survey by USA Today and Claritas Marketing.
People in Anne Arundel, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties are most likely to buy the latest high-tech gadgets such as Wi-Fi and internet phone service, the survey said.
Airport Wireless’ products, which include Bluetooth Headsets, 10 different types of travel speakers and the Palm TX handheld, change as quickly as technology changes.
Berman said sales personnel receive training on each item the store sells. They don’t have order takers, she said. They have education consultants.
“In terms of sales volume and success, they are really strong operators. Their landlords have been super pleased with them,” said Pauline Armbrust, publisher and editor of Airport Revenue News, a magazine that covers airport revenue sources. “And they have strong sales people in terms of product knowledge.”
Airport Wireless officials wouldn’t provide details on annual revenue, but said they are “aggressively expanding the chain.”
A Miami store recently opened, and they are breaking out on the West Coast with two locations in San Francisco. They have even received requests from airports to come to their locations.
What is Airport Wireless’ most popular product?
“Women love Palms,” said Berman, describing them as mini-organizers with MP3 players in them.
“When you have one, you don’t ever stop working.” ::
