Duty Free Americas (DFA) will open a new store on the border between Israel and Jordan next month, according to President, Leon Falic who spoke to TRBusiness in an exclusive interview for the Top 10 Operators Report, to be published in October.

 

During the pandemic, DFA made no secret of its success at the borders, offsetting disappointing sales at airports as international travel came to a standstill in 2020.

 

The company appears to be further capitalising on the buoyancy of this business with the latest opening.

 

“We are opening a store now on the border between Jordan and Israel (on the Israel side) at around 3-4,000sq ft,” confirms Falic.

 

Falic believes that the progress made by the governments of Israel and the UAE in particular, following the signing of the Abraham Accords*, will only strengthen the business potential of the store.

 

“It’s a small store, but we have a lot of traffic there,” he says. “So, we think that with the Abraham Accords and everything that’s going on, we will do well there.

 

“We expect a lot of people who will be crossing over to Israel to visit.”

 

Due to open next month the store will carry products in all core duty free categories such as liquor, tobacco, and beauty and will focus on ‘best-sellers’ according to Falic.

 

When pushed for a comment on the outlook of DFA’s business across its global network, he was reluctant to provide forecasts, but did highlight supply chain challenges. “I’m really just trying to make sure we have enough product.

 

“We’re happy to be a part of this business and we want to expand, but right now we don’t want to predict too much. We’re doing well right now, but we know how things can change.”

 

*The Abraham Accords declaration, signed by the US, Israel and the UAE in 2020, stipulates that the parties recognise the ‘importance of maintaining and strengthening peace in the Middle East and around the world based on mutual understanding and coexistence’.

 

The full interview with Leon Falic will appear in the Top 10 Operators report, available in e-zine format from 4 October and can be picked up in print, along with the October issue, at the TFWA World Exhibition in Cannes taking place 2-6 October.