Wellbeing
US$19 million in sales over 24 hours – Dubai Duty Free turns 42 with a spectacular flourish
As Dubai Duty Free celebrated its 42nd anniversary, shoppers at Dubai International and Al Maktoum International airports celebrated the retailer’s traditional annual sale, collectively spending US$6,250 a minute over a 24-hour “shopping frenzy”.
The T2 tender is being contested by incumbent China Duty Free Group (CDFG), Wangfujing Duty Free and China National Service Corporation (CNSC). The T3 bid attracted offers from CDFG, CNSC and CTS (HK), the last-named part of CDFG’s parentage alongside China Tourism Group.
Bids closed yesterday (19 December) on the two-pronged open tender covering the departures and arrivals duty-free concessions at Beijing Capital International Airport. And the result is shrouded in doubt.
Nuxe has strengthened its skin solution proposition with Zinc Power, a four-step blemish-control range initially launched with Lagardère Travel Retail.
Molton Brown is accelerating its Asia expansion through a series of launches in Hong Kong and Macau, building on regional travel retail openings in 2024.
With the peak gifting season underway ahead of the Christmas holidays, travel retailers are highlighting curated gift ideas across their social media channels to help ease the holiday shopping rush.
Jeddah Airports has issued a tender for 12 convenience stores across terminals 1 and 4 at King Abdulaziz International Airport (KAIA), with a deadline of 17 December.
Renovated and expanded into a two-storey space, the Haitang Bay boutique offers a spa-inspired skincare suite and an array of luxury fragrance and beauty services.
Showcasing the brand’s ‘mindful rituals’ ethos, the boutique offers beauty selections designed for calm and self-care for busy travellers.
Opened on 3 November, the new concept debuts La Collection Privée Christian Dior and a curated lineup of fragrances, skincare and makeup, delivering an exclusive shopper experience.
“Within transactions over AED500 (US$136), the highest growth was in the AED10,000 (US$2,720) and above segment,” notes an understandably upbeat Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi. “The next highest was in the AED5,000-10,000 segment (US$1,360- 2,720).”
Located in concourses C and D, the openings reinforce the brand’s expanding global travel retail presence and tap into rising passenger traffic at one of the world’s busiest hubs.
The two-pronged tender covers terminals 2 and 3, with a total duty-free area exceeding 14,000sq m and a concession period of nearly eight years, running until 10 February 2034.












