Joe Bates finds himself at Glasgow airport facing early morning drams and security warnings
A trip north of the border to watch the Scottish Open earlier this summer saw me fly from the vast, ultra-modern steel and glass edifice of Heathrow Terminal 5 to the gloomy concrete and confusing layout of Glasgow international— a 1960s dinosaur of an airport currently in the throes of a much-neede...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 74 published on 08/09/2008
Joe Bates heads across the American border
The US and Canada share the longest common border anywhere in the world. It stretches an astonishing 5,522 miles and dotted along its length at major crossings are numerous duty-free shops,many of them run by small, family-owned businesses.
One of the biggest and best stores on the Canadian side of...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 73 published on 22/07/2008
Joe Batesbraves the crowds and keeps an eye on his bags as he checks out
the offerings at Heathrow’s flagship terminal
An auspicious opening it certainly wasn’t.Seething passengers, hundreds of flights cancelled and up to 20,000 bags lost from a state-of-the-art, computer-controlled luggage system in total meltdown.Yes folks, the first few days of BAA (British Airport Authorities) and British Airway’s much-trumpeted...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 72 published on 19/06/2008
Joe Bateschecks out the huge duty free store at Istanbul’s Atatürk airport
Where would you expect to find Europe’s largest duty-free shop?
Heathrow would be a good guess perhaps, or maybe Paris Charles de Gaulle or even Amsterdam Schiphol? Actually, though all those hub airports boast large shops, bragging rights for that particular accolade go to Istanbul’s Atatürk airpo...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 71 published on 17/04/2008
Joe Bates heads tothe Indian subcontinent tolook atSri Lanka’s main airport.
Demand for Scotch whisky across the Indian subcontinent is booming as never before.Duty-free stores across the region have been experiencing record sales as local travellers lucky enough to have disposable income to burn take the opportunity to grab a bottle of the real stuff at realistic prices.
C...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 70 published on
Joe Bates looks at the delightful London City airport.
If you are all too familiar with the long security queues, traffic jams and general pandemonium of Heathrow or Gatwick, taking a flight from London City airport comes as a pleasant surprise.
Along with your fellow passengers, who are mainly affluent city types, you are whisked through security in a...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 69 published on 18/01/2008
Joe Bates travels down under to check out what’s on offer.
You will be hard-pressed to find a more patriotic nation than Australia so it is perhaps no surprise that Melbourne airport’s recently refurbished F1RST duty-free shop bangs the drum loudly for that most famous of Aussie tipples, Bundaberg rum.
The newly expanded departures shop features a whole br...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 68 published on 07/12/2007
Joe Bate shops across the Channel to check out the latest shopping opportunities
Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The French famously drink more whisky in a week than they do Cognac in a month. It is perhaps rather fitting then that whisky plays such a major role in two new liquor and tobacco outlets, which opened at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport’s new S3 terminal over the sum...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 67 published on 01/11/2007
Joes Bates looks at the new Scandinavian store
Only a few years ago many airport duty-free shops were dingy, cramped and invariably slotted into awkward and hard-to-navigate locations. Today’s stores, however, are often spacious, brightly lit and well laid out — a sign of how important retail revenue has become for airports.
The perfect example...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 66 published on 25/09/2007
Joe Bates reports from one of Europe’s largest airports
The size and quality of the whisky offered at a duty-free shop often depends on how many business travellers the airport serves. The more suits and laptops seen on the concourse, the better the range of malts on the shelf. It’s not surprising really, duty-free buyers have found that no other passeng...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 65 published on 20/07/2007
Joe Bates checks out what the Mediterranean island has to offer the travellers
When it comes to booze, what do you normally bring back from your annual fortnight in the sun? A flagon of the local plonk perhaps, which tasted great al fresco with the sun on your face and salt air on your lips, but turns to vinegar the minute you unpack your suitcase? Or will it be a bottle of th...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 64 published on 01/06/2007
Joe Bates checks out the latest offers in Dublin
Ireland’s booming economy has led to phenomenal growth at Dublin airport in the 1990s and 2000s. Last year the country’s main international gateway broke the 20 million-passenger mark for the first time, and 2007 is set to be an even busier year.
The high-percentage of transatlantic traffic means t...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 63 published on 20/04/2007
Joe Bates checks out the latest offers
Glasgow, the gateway to the Lowlands, narrowly pips Edinburgh as the busiest airport in Scotland and is rapidly expanding its route network to include long-haul destinations.
Owner BAAhas pumped a lot of money in recent years in trying to upgrade its retail and catering offer.
The whisky selection...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 62 published on 01/03/2007
Joe Bates Gardermoen shops offer taxed locals whisky paradise
Norway suffers from some of the highest alcohol prices in the world so it comes as no surprise to learn the locals have an almost religious devotion to duty-free shopping. They track down bargains whenever they can while travelling and can now take advantage of Oslo Gardermoen’s new duty-free arriva...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 61 published on 19/01/2007
Joe Bates gets the low down on the Buenos Aires scene
Blame it on their love of all things European or their manly gaucho culture, but premium whisky still reigns as the king of alcoholic drinks in Argentina. It accounts for an amazing 75 per cent of spirits sales at the dutyfree stores at the country’s biggest airport, Buenos Aires Ezeiza.
The long-s...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 60 published on 10/11/2006
Joe Bates sets sail in search of a bargain
Before the abolition of duty-free inside the European Union seven years ago cross- Channel operators such as P&O Ferries used to make huge profits on their onboard sales.
Times have changed—these days the goods in the ferrys’ shops have to be set at French duty-paid prices so P&O’s profit margins a...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 59 published on 11/10/2006
Joe Bates looks at Kiev airport and brings the latest news from travel retail
The Irish have always had a close connection with duty-free. The first duty-free shop opened in Shannon in 1947, providing a welcome diversion for bored transatlantic passengers waiting for their flights to re-fuel.
More than half a century later and the Irish Diaspora is now helping to run airport...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 58 published on 30/08/2006
Joe Bates on the Regency Duty Free, Auckland,New Zealand
American bourbon has risen to become New Zealand’s number one spirit in recent years so it comes as a bit of a surprise to see that Regency Duty Free, Auckland airport’s main duty-free operator, stocks a fairly limited choice.
Instead travellers will find that the in-store offer is skewed towards t...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 57 published on 21/07/2006
Joe Bates looks at the solid duty free store in Helsinki
Store focus: Helsinki If your travels take you to the modern and compact Helsinki-Vaanta airport and you have time on your hands, head towards Gate 28. You’ll find the airport’s biggest duty-free shop there and a solid, no-nonsense Scotch whisky assortment and a good range of bourbons and Irish whis...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 56 published on 01/06/2006
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Store focus: Iceland
For some mysterious reason the nearer a country is to the Arctic Circle, the higher its taxes on spirits. Prices in Iceland, for instance, are some of the highest in Europe.
Unsurprisingly, the arrival of a duty-free shop at Keflavik airport is rather popular with both locals...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 55 published on 14/04/2006
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail.
Store focus: Dubai.
Dubai Duty Free is now the second largest dutyfree location after London Heathrow with annual sales of more than $2billion.
Whisky, easily the best-selling spirits category, is a popular purchase among ex-pat workers from Europe a...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 54 published on 03/03/2006
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Store focus.
Edinburgh Airport.
Edinburgh airport finally has the whisky offer it deserves. Earlier this year BAA opened a World of Whiskies shop in shop at the airport’s main World Duty Free store, based on the successful retail format at London Heathrow and Gatwick.
As a result the dedicated whi...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 53 published on 12/01/2006
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Store focus
Amsterdam Schiphol airport
Holland’s main international gateway has developed a well-earned reputation for offering customers excellent value.
The Dutch airport has recently expanded its whisky offer with the opening of a new specialist 88sq m whisky and cigar store. The shop is located...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 52 published on 30/11/2005
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Store Focus.
Vancouver airport.
Vancouver airport hit the headlines earlier this year after its duty-free stores announced they had stocked five bottles of the world’s most expensive cognac, L’Esprit de Courvoisier, priced at a cool C$5,750 (£2,700) each.
The whiskies on offer at Vancouver are als...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 51 published on 07/10/2005
Joe Bates with the latest from travel retail
Store Focus.
Copenhagen Kastrup.
If only every duty-free shop could look like Swiss travel retailer The Nuance Group’s new flagship store at Copenhagen airport.
At a spacious 2,700sq m this light, airy outlet, is easily the largest airport shop in Europe.The wellstocked liquor section is separate...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 50 published on 09/09/2005
Joe Bates looks at whisky in Brussels airport
Store focus.
Brussels airport.
Unsurprisingly for the country, which gave the world Leonidas, Godiva and Neuhaus, chocolate is the best-selling product at Brussels Zaventem airport.
Yet the whisky offer is good too – duty-free concessionaire Belgium Sky Shops has a rolling monthly promotional prog...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 49 published on 15/07/2005
Joe Bates provides a guide to the best duty free purchases and looks at the best stores to buy from. This issue: World of Whiskies
Best Buy
Glen Garioch 46 Year Old
Morrison Bowmore is best known in travel retail for its smoky Islay malt Bowmore, which has grown rapidly to become one of the top 10 malts in duty-free. However, the whisky distiller is also keen to build the profile of Glen Garioch, its smaller, award-winning Hi...
By Joe Bates
from Issue 46 published on 10/3/2005
Martin Moodle conducts his annual survey on what's hot- and good value- in the duty free shops of the world
Duty free retailers have had a tough time lately. First, those laugh-a-minute bureaucrats of Brussels said “RIP duty free” (or at least between European Union countries) back in 1999. And over the past 12 months sales have slumped in the face of foot-and-mouth disease (the livestock rather than Brus...
By Abigail Bosanko
from Issue 25 published on 16/8/2002
Martin Moodie reports on duty free stores that have abandoned the “stack ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap” mentality and become innovative, enticing and packed full of whisky delights to tempt the traveller
The giant posters adorning Sydney airport are as loud and brash as the meatiest Aussie shiraz. “Guilt Free Duty Free” blares out the copy line underneath images of Rayban-wearing nuns carrying ghetto blasters, Sony Walkmans and Chanel No 5. All that’s missing is a bottle or two of Lagavulin poking o...
By Martin Moodie
from Issue 18 published on 16/9/2001
Eighty-five bottles of Scotch are sold every minute in duty-free shops around the world. Martin Moodie looks at where the best ranges can be found, and where it's worth missing your fight for a special bottling.
Early on a Wednesday morning and malt whisky sales are already doing a roaring trade in one west London liquor store. But this isn’t any corner shop trying to defy local licensing laws. The venue is London Heathrow airport’s Terminal One where a specialist store called Whiskies of the World has beco...
By Martin Moodie
from Issue 3 published on 13/5/1999
