Latest news with #AtlantaHartsfield-JacksonInternationalAirport
Newsweek
06-05-2025
- Business
- Newsweek
Paradies Lagardère Using AI to Customize Airport Shopping Experiences
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Travel retailer and restaurateur Paradies Lagardère is using artificial intelligence (AI) to be a more agile business in 90 airports across in North America. The company owns and operates more than 700 stores, restaurants and bars under its own name and familiar local and international brand names. "Technology remains a driving force in shaping our business, and we are committed to 'useful technology'—not just the newest shiny gadget—to enhance the traveler's experience by making it faster and more seamless," the company's President and CEO Gregg Paradies told Newsweek. "Additionally, we focus on technology that reduces unnecessary tasks for our associates, allowing them to dedicate more time to servicing customers. These innovations provide valuable customer insights, streamline processes and strengthen overall performance while preserving our commitment to exceptional service," he said. David Bisset, Paradies Lagardère's chief development officer, is committed to using AI to deliver a better customer experience without overburdening them with technology. "Our approach to technology in airports, including AI, is simple: it should enhance the traveler's experience without disrupting it. Our goal is for customers to move through our retail stores, restaurants and bars without noticing any operational differences - only smoother, more seamless service. We focus on integrating technology thoughtfully, using it as a behind-the-scenes tool to elevate guest satisfaction and optimize operations," he told Newsweek. Vino Volo by Paradies Lagardère at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Vino Volo by Paradies Lagardère at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Brandon Amato/Paradies Lagardère The company is leveraging a number of partnerships to execute its AI plans, including innovating the customer and employee experience. "We are incorporating Solink's video analytics to allow us to track real-time foot traffic, monitor peak hours and better understand conversion rates and average revenue per guest. By combining queuing data with transaction analysis, we can interpret how long it takes for a guest to complete a purchase and adjust staffing or operations accordingly, Bisset said. "By leveraging these insights, we're able to continuously fine-tune our operations and keep the focus where it should be: delivering an outstanding, hassle-free shopping or dining experience for every guest who visits our locations." Paradies shared: "We prioritize solutions that seamlessly improve training, security and customer engagement. 1Huddle, a gamified app, enhances associate training, working in tandem with Solink. Additionally, we use TruRating, which collects real-time data and customer feedback at the point of sale." "The expansion of self-checkout solutions continues to offer travelers greater speed and convenience, while 24/7 vending solutions ensure round-the-clock access to essential products," he explained. While the public's concerns about AI and technology replacing workers in routine shopping and dining situations exist, Paradies doesn't see their adoption as directly impacting headcount. Vino Volo merchandise at the restaurant at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Vino Volo merchandise at the restaurant at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Brandon Amato/Paradies Lagardère "Our approach to technology is intentional—we view it as a tool to enhance operations, not to replace employees or established best practices. We remain focused on exploring AI-driven efficiencies at both local and global levels, leveraging advancements to refine our business while maintaining the personal, high-touch service that defines Paradies Lagardère," he said.
Miami Herald
27-02-2025
- Miami Herald
On-duty officer smuggling 16 ‘bricks' of cocaine is caught at Atlanta airport, feds say
A man with 16 'bricks' of cocaine inside his carry-on bags traveled to Atlanta in his official capacity as a U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officer, federal prosecutors said. When Ivan Van Beverhoudt arrived at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from the U.S. Virgin Islands in 2020, a CBP canine alerted its handler to Beverhoudt and his bags, according to court documents. This led officers to escort Van Beverhoudt to a CBP interview room, where they discovered cocaine packed inside his red roller bag and black hand bag, court documents say. Now, more than five years later, a federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against Van Beverhoudt in connection with the discovery, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a Feb. 26 news release. Van Beverhoudt, 45, of St. Thomas, was convicted of conspiracy to import cocaine into the U.S., importation of cocaine into the U.S., conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office. His defense attorneys didn't respond to McClatchy News' request for comment Feb. 26. Before Van Beverhoudt boarded his flight to Atlanta in January 2020, he bypassed a TSA security screening because he checked in with his CBP credentials at an airport in St. Thomas, according to court documents. As a result, he traveled from St. Thomas to Georgia as an armed law enforcement officer, with his CBP-issued firearm, prosecutors said. Van Beverhoudt planned to smuggle the cocaine he carried with him to Baltimore, where he was supposed to fly to after arriving in Atlanta, according to prosecutors. His plans changed when he was caught with the narcotics at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, prosecutors said. 'Van Beverhoudt used his trusted position as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer to circumvent the law and smuggle dangerous drugs into our community,' U.S. Attorney Richard S. Moultrie Jr. said in a statement. 'Thanks to the diligent efforts of our law enforcement partners, Van Beverhoudt is now being held accountable and faces time in federal prison,' Moultrie said. Van Beverhoudt's sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29, court records show.
