Originally Posted by
VelvetJones
I lived in Pittsburgh when the new airport opened and I could never understand why anyone in their right mind would ever go to the airport to shop.
From a different news article:
The Airmall is home to several stores or restaurants like Hugo Boss, Armani Jeans, and Bar Symon that are not found elsewhere in Pittsburgh. Mr. Zandi said Fraport is hoping to bring in several other brands that will be exclusive to the Airmall.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/tra...s/201708280087
I have a vague memory that the latest major remodel at PIT in the late 90s had as its intention that the airport would double as a shopping destination as well as an airport. My memory is that the concourses were much wider than for other airports of the time, specifically because they were anticipating and hoping to promote wider traffic.
And then, (1) 9/11 happened, restricting concourses to ticketed passengers, and (2) USAir pulled out of Pittsburgh as a hub, which drove traffic through those concourses down substantially. I'm sure they've been trying to find ways to reverse that.