Dubai Duty Free rakes in billions

Dubai Duty Free half year sales has achieved a 16.6 percent increase crossing AED2.54bn. The top three selling categories are, perfumes, liquor and gold, with perfume sales increasing by 20 percent. Sales of electronic goods also shot up by 22 percent for the first half of the year to reach AED196m while watch sales rose by 41 percent. All the three terminals registered increase in sales, terminal 2 leaving other terminals afar in sales growth by registering 31 percent in the first half of the year. Dubai Duty Free has retained its position, for three consecutive years, as the largest single airport retail operation in the world in terms of turnover. Colm McLoughlin, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said, "We are extremely pleased that 2011 has shaped up to be such a positive year for the operation. We have seen consumer spending increase across most categories with significant spikes in luxury sector products. We have also seen significant increases in sales across all three Terminals for both departing and arriving passengers, all of which is encouraging for the year-end figures." Dubai airport, the chief transit hub for the GCC, plans to expand its retail offering by 50 percent next year with the opening of concourse 3, with an additional 8,000 square metres of duty free stores. Regional Director for Colliers Middle East Stuart Gissing added that an increase in passenger dwelling time at airports has triggered investment in the “terminal journey” by airport operators. Airports are becoming destinations in their own right and are showcasing more brands at duty free shops than the best supermarkets.