Research has revealed perhaps startlingly that ‘no motivating promotions’ is the chief reason for travellers not buying in duty free shops.

The DFWC Quarterly Global Shopping Monitor for Q3 in association with m1nd-set is based on 4,001 online interviews with travellers across the regions in September.

Among the other reasons for not purchasing, in descending order of importance, where high prices against home destinations, a lack of new and interesting products, high prices versus destination countries and a lack of suitable souvenirs.

DF ‘AS DIFFERENT’ +10%

Other findings showed that 32% of global shoppers increasingly view duty free as a ‘truly different experience’ (versus 29% in the same study last year), however, fewer than half (47%) viewed duty free shopping as part of the travel experience.

Elsewhere, 30% of travellers agree the channel offers exclusive and unique products and 23% see prices as ‘usually cheaper’.

 

Price advantage (34%) emerged as the top reason for purchase followed by value for money (31%), while 22% of shoppers bought because products ‘were different from usual’, up four percentage points from the last quarter.

The monitor also measures traffic growth year-to-date, which is up by 7% globally, according to IATA data, .

Notable performances were recorded by Asia and Europe, both at +8%.

GLOBAL SATISFACTION UP

Globally, *customer satisfaction was up by 2%, including growth in Asia Pacific (+1%), Middle East & Africa (+1%) and South America (+1%).

Europe and North America, meanwhile, were flat.

 

Commenting on the results, DFWC President Frank O’ Connell said: “We see from the research that experiential retail is among the top reasons for shopping in airports. It’s important to note that a lack of experiential retail is also what is keeping shoppers away.”

M1nd-set owner and CEO Peter Mohn added: “Our research also indicates that footfall would definitely increase if travellers knew they could find more unique experiences when shopping in airports.

“This should be reflected in store design, with greater focus on sense of place, a more personalised customer service approach and more proactive use of technology in-store, as well as in the way the stores communicate with shoppers, for example highlighting testing and sampling opportunities.”