UAE. In another historic milestone for Dubai Duty Free the company has passed AED8 billion (US$2.18 billion) in annual sales for the first time in its 42-year history.
The sale of a twin-pack of Marlboro Lights purchased for AED371 by an Indian passenger travelling to Delhi was the item that pushed sales over the landmark figure for the year.
The achievement continues a trend of record sales this year, with nine out of 11 months setting new highs, including November’s outstanding figure of AED876.56 million (US$240.16 million), as reported recently.
Dubai Duty Free Managing Director Ramesh Cidambi said to staff and management in T3 today, “It’s a momentous occasion to cross the AED8 billion mark for the first-time ever in the company’s history. From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank all of you who are working 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – on the shopfloor and in the back office – to make these transactions happen and to drive the business to this level at year end.
“We are up +17.6% compared to last December for the first nine days. The last few days have been fantastic, and we are up +9.8% for the year, which is AED710 million more than what we achieved last year – equivalent to one full month of sales.”
He added, “Our Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum congratulated each and every member of the Dubai Duty Free team for the outstanding performance in November and looks forward to a strong finish for the year.”
The retailer will celebrate its 42nd anniversary on 20 December and will mark the occasion by offering a -25% discount on a wide range of products. ✈
*Click here for our story and analysis on the headline-grabbing numbers at Dubai Duty Free for November.
