What's the point of Duty Free?

techno12

I've wondered this for years, but all the products I've looked at in Duty Free shops in airports over the years are more expensive than they are in the normal shops, or at best, similarly priced. They're always full of bloody way way overpriced Toblerones etc.

Am I missing something?

Perhaps it's goods I'm not interested in (eg Perfume or Tobacco) that are astoundingly cheap, but certainly the alcohol, electronics etc that I've looked at are no cheaper than they can be obtained for in Tesco or Amazon.

Tojo_Ralph

In UK and Europe "Duty Free" shops, I would agree, electronics and perfumes etc are more expensive or no cheaper than the high street, however "Duty Free" shops in the likes of Asia and the Middle East can be cheaper when buying electronics and perfume, but this is not always the case.

Where "Duty Free" shops worldwide come into their own is with regards to tobacco products and to a lesser degree, alcohol.

Edinburghlass_2

The point of duty free shops... why, buying Lily O'Brien chocolates at Dublin airport

Doshwaster

techno12 wrote: »

I've wondered this for years, but all the products I've looked at in Duty Free shops in airports over the years are more expensive than they are in the normal shops, or at best, similarly priced. They're always full of bloody way way overpriced Toblerones etc.

Am I missing something?

You are actually seeing through the smoke-screen. People have been brainwashed into thinking that shopping at Airports is cheap. It's not. But they have you as a captive audience for 2 hours and they want to extract your money.

Personally, I never buy anything at Airport shops apart from maybe some toiletries and a bottle of water. Anything else would take up Valuable Drinking Time when I could be in the bar :beer:

costapkt

If they were really Duty Free should a bottle of whisky only cost a couple of quid ?

lynzpower

Edinburghlass wrote: »

The point of duty free shops... why, buying Lily O'Brien chocolates at Dublin airport

you can buy lilly o brien chocolates here in Tescos

Tojo_Ralph

lynzpower wrote: »

you can buy lilly o brien chocolates here in Tescos

And Costco ...... Or at least they did have recently.

Edinburghlass_2

lynzpower wrote: »

you can buy lilly o brien chocolates here in Tescos

Not my local Tesco now, but I'm hoping they will stock up for Christmas.

Tarry

I like duty free, for me, it's an excuse to buy perfumes and other nice things

x

Bob_the_Saver

Not an airport, not much use to you perhaps, but out of interest in Andorra a litre of 'cheap' Scotch/other spirits are about £3.20. We usually grab a bottle each when we pass through, I'm drinking some now.


As Dean Martin said, "I feel really sorry for people who don't drink, cos when they wake up in a morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day"

lynzpower

I remember LIvigno in italy being very cheap for spirits too, that was a duty free resort and litre of vodka ( eg smirnoff) was about a fiver.