MAURITIUS. Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co has posted a +13.15% year-on-year rise in sales reaching just below €19.8 million for the six months to 31 December (the first semester of the financial year 2007-08).
Passenger numbers were ahead by +12.09% to 1,295,078 for the period. Customer numbers rose +9.4% to 362,517, giving a penetration rate of 27.99%.
Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co Chief Executive Mohinder Shakeel Dyall told The Moodie Report: “Traffic at the airport is very good and sales also are OK.”
Average spend per customer (transaction value) reached €54.60, compared with €52.79 for the same period in 2006.
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Mohinder Shakeel Dyall: Still reviewing his distribution options for 2008 |
Four of the retailer’s top five categories posted double-digit growth with confectionery (10.74% of the mix) soaring ahead by +19.13% in sales by value. Lead category perfumes & cosmetics (29.99% of the mix) gained +15.21% in sales over the comparative period. Liquor (22.48% of sales) was up by +11.03%; tobacco (15.90%) was ahead by +9.99%; while fashion (7.90% of the total) slipped by -6.57%.
Departures shops generated the lion’s share of sales, reaching around €13.3 million in the period, a +11.71% increase by value. Fragrances led the mix with 38.09% of sales and a +14.82% rise in turnover by value. Tobacco was the second-largest category with 18.28% of the mix and a +12.36% increase.
Liquor was in third place (17.67%), rising +8.10% in sales, while confectionery (10.33%) rose by an impressive +18.16%. Average transaction value was €56.24 and the penetration rate a very healthy 37.02%.
The Arrivals business also prospered, reaching around €5.4 million for the six months, up +23.81%. Some significant differences emerged here in terms of the mix, with liquor the dominant force, representing 41.90% of the total. The category increased sales by +14.38% for the period.
Perfumes & cosmetics (16.48%) came next, posting a +17.60% increase year-on-year. Confectionery represented a healthy 14.89% and showed an even healthier gain, up +20.98%. Consumer technology (10.68%) rounded out the top five and rose +20.98%.
Average transaction value reached €54.24 (up by an impressive +4.92%).
DECISION AWAITED ON DISTRIBUTION CONTRACT
The company runs its own airport stores at SSR International Airport in Mauritius and on Rodrigues Island (as Rodrigues Duty Free). Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co is currently weighing up various options after a recent tender for its distribution contract.
Gebr Heinemann holds the contract but after the 2007 tender Mauritius Duty Free Paradise Co issued a letter of intent to award the business to French retailer Aelia in October.
However the agreement, it seems, has failed to proceed. As a result, the company is reviewing its position and Gebr Heinemann is continuing to run the business.
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