DDF nine-month sales soar to $1.3bn
Dubai, October 19, 2013
Dubai Duty Free (DDF) said it has recorded Dh4.65 billion ($1.27 billion) sales for the first nine months, up 12 per cent over the same period last year and hopes to end its 30th anniversary year on a high note.
The airport retailer is gearing up for a busy last quarter, which includes its 30th anniversary celebrations in December.
Announcing the 9-month results, Colm McLoughlin, the executive vice chairman, said DDF was on track for year-end sales of Dh6.6 billion as strong growth was recorded across all the terminals.
The sales in Terminal 3, which accounted for 63 per cent of the total DDF turnover, rose by 17 per cent year- to- date to Dh2.94 billion, while Terminal 2, accounting for 7.6 per cent of turnover, saw sales rise by 22 per cent to Dh352 million. The Terminal 1, which accounts for 28 per cent of total turnover recorded nine month sales of Dh1.3 billion.
Commenting on the performance, McLoughlin said: “We are having a terrific year in terms of sales and we are looking forward to ending this 30th anniversary year on a high note. Concourse A, which opened this January, has been a great and much needed addition to Terminal 3 and the expansion programme in Terminal 2 is coming to a conclusion shortly."
"We will embark on a renovation programme in Terminal 1 early next year and of course we are opening a 2,500 square metre retail space at Al Maktoum International Airport later this month, so things are keeping us busy," he stated.
Category wise, Perfumes, Liquor and Gold retained the top three positions with perfumes in particular showing strong growth witha sales increase of 17 per cent to Dh738 million for the first nine months of the year, while gold sales rose by 9 per cent to reach Dh454 million, said the DDF in its statement.
The other high sellers included the watches and clocks category which rose by 17 per cent, cosmetics, up by 17 per cent and Delicatessen (fine foods) increased by 13 per cent, it added.
DDF, which first opened for business on December 20, 1983, celebrates its 30th anniversary this year and has plans in place to make this a memorable occasion, said McLoughlin.
The anniversary day will be marked by a 25 per cent discount on a wide range of merchandise, for what has become an annual celebration for all passengers travelling through the airport, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
