same with airports - just why do we need sooooooo many shops right next to the terminals? I understand travelers might need some basic stuff (food, water etc) but why other crap, especially so close to the terminals? no wonder airports are so huge
There's a lot of downtime for travelers, so shops are a good way for airports to make money, and for travelers to relieve boredom. The airports aren't big because of the shops, they're big because the planes and tarmacs need tons of space.