According to local reports, Incheon International Airport is looking to tender its duty free shops later this month and competition for these spaces is likely to be fierce between the incumbents and new challengers.

All four existing operators – Lotte Duty Free, Korea National Tourism Organization, AK Duty Free and Discover DFS – generated combined duty free sales of $850m-plus in 2006, with Lotte accounting for more than 40% ($340m-plus).
The new bids are imminent following the contract extensions provided to all four operations in February 2006 which all expire in February 2008.
New challengers that have already declared their interest include Dufry, King Power Group (HK) which recently set up a subsidiary company and Aelia, the French travel retail giant. The presence of Sky Connection at the recent Singapore Changi Airport liquor and tobacco bid would suggest that it too might show an interest, along with Aldeasa, which also bid in Singapore.