OMAN. Oman Sales & Services/Muscat Duty Free has announced a +25% year-on-year rise in sales for the first six months of 2005 at Muscat Seeb International Airport.
Muscat Duty Free is a partnership between Aer Rianta International-Middle East and Oman Aviation Services.
The retailer said: “This extraordinary growth is all the more amazing given that last year’s sales showed a +45% growth on the 2003 figures. In fact Muscat Duty Free has outperformed most of its much larger regional competitors in sales growth percentage terms, and is now clearly recognized as a serious player in the regional duty free business.”
Both arrivals and departures have performed exceptionally well, with pre-orders, perfumes & cosmetics and Cuban cigars in both locations growing substantially.
Towards the end of 2004 Muscat Duty Free expanded its space in order to provide a better range of toys, souvenirs, DVDs and music as well as streamlining the customer flow through the shop and improving the cash points positioning. “These moves have been a resounding success as sales volume clearly verify,” the retailer said.
It added that the new Omani Heritage area which was opened in October 2004 has become one of the major attractions among passengers, while also providing an impetus to promote more Omani traditional products.
Strong boost to local employment, businesses
Since its inception on 1 February 2003, Muscat Duty Free has played a pivotal role in “˜Job creation through growth’, a programme which has seen staff levels jump by +275% to over 150 – of whom 55% are Omani. Additionally the retailer’s growth has had the knock-on benefit of lending greater support to local suppliers and businesses, which in turn has stimulated further growth and job creation in the local economy. Local supplier purchases now run at almost 40% of Muscat Duty Free’s total purchases, “which equates into millions of dollars per annum circulated back into the local economy” the retailer commented.
Muscat Duty Free’s pioneering website (www.muscatdutyfree.com) – the first in the region to offer a dual language Arabic/English service – is proving highly successful, attracting 50,000 hits per month, (www.muscatdutyfree.com). Sales are also benefiting from concepts such as the pre-order service for departures and arrivals.
Other factors in the first-half success have included a Quality Assurance department, and regular passenger and customer surveys. “These are all a clear indication that Muscat Duty Free is not only trying to meet customer expectations, but surpass them,” the company said.
The retailer is currently running a popular summer promotion – “˜Win a kilo of gold’. This is a follow-up to last winter’s “˜Scratch & Win’ promotion which attracted over 50,000 participants and gave away 18,000 items.
The retailer is currently developing an expansion programme which will take the operation forward until the new terminal is completed in December 2008. Retail designs are being drawn up for the new terminal.
MORE STORIES ON MUSCAT DUTY FREE
Muscat Duty Free starts another Gold Rush – 31/05/05
Muscat Duty Free launches first bilingual duty free web site in the Middle East – 21/11/04
Oman Sales & Services/Muscat Duty Free drives sales forward in impressive 2004 showing – 28/09/04
Muscat Duty Free sales soar as Aer Rianta influence prospers – 12/05/04
