After five months of gradual decline, there was good news for Canadian border store sales in April with a YOY increase of 8.89% for the month, taking sales to C$9.6m ($8.9m).

 

Whilst demonstrating a better start to the first quarter trading, combined figures for January – April 2014 are still 3.8% down on last year, however, dropping from C$33.4m ($31m) to C$32.1m ($29.8m) according to figures released by Duty Free Shop Program and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

 

Airport duty free sales in the region continue to look healthy, reporting sales of C$23.7m for April 2014, +15.5% on April 2013. This has contributed to January – April total revenue of C$97.9m, a YOY rise of 13.8%.

 

Helping to improve the fortunes of Canadian border shops in April were alcohol (liquor, liqueur, wine, coolers) at +9.6% YOY; tobacco (cigarettes, cigars, loose tobacco) +4.2%; perfume, cosmetics & skincare at +16.4%; and food, which saw the most impressive growth of 25.7%.

 

In airports the biggest revenue generator through April was perfume, cosmetics & skincare at +20.2% YOY, followed by alcohol +7.2%. Tobacco proved to be the third biggest selling category in sales over C$3m, but in fact experienced a marginal decline of 0.7% against April 2013.

 

[Image shows Canada’s Windsor border store]