Dubai Duty Free to reap DSS rewards as travellers increase

The DDF shops have been witnessing increasing sales across all product categories with the increasing spending largely due to GCC and other regional visitors.

The Dubai Summer Surprises (DSS) period is proving to be very successful for the Dubai Duty Free, with the additional travellers arriving in Dubai during the summer helping to transform "flyers into buyers."

Salah Tahlak, senior vice president of corporate communications at Dubai Duty Free (DDF), said that DDF has experienced a positive impact on its retail operations at both Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airport that are directly attributable to the increasing number of travelers arriving in Dubai during DSS this summer.

"With many travellers using Dubai as a travel hub during the DSS period, the large influx of passengers to Dubai International has generated a significant positive impact to our retail operations. Likewise, passenger traffic at Al Maktoum International Airport - Dubai World Central has also increased in number, which is obviously an added opportunity for Dubai Duty Free," Tahlak said.

The DDF shops have been witnessing increasing sales across all product categories with the increasing spending largely due to GCC and other regional visitors who constitute the biggest segment of travellers to Dubai for Dubai Summer Surprises.

Tahlak added: "We are pleased to see notable positive results for Dubai Duty Free in the field of operations, as we have seen an increase in consumer spending across all categories during the DSS period. An increase in travel within the wider GCC and Middle East region is also seen due to a fact that UAE is a short haul destination and traditionally they have been a strong market for the UAE during DSS."

Over the past two decades, DSS has transformed from a small summer event to one of the world's largest and longest running summer festival of its kind. It continues to contribute towards Dubai's retail and tourism goals of attracting more visitors to the emirate, which has resulted in an increasing number of passengers travelling through Dubai International and Al Maktoum International Airport and shopping at Dubai Duty Free.

Asked about any special promotions that encouraged visitors to purchase on arrival, Tahlak said: "We rolled out innovative promotions and matchless offers that are intended at further enhance the overall shopping experience of visitors from around the world which includes great discounts ranging from 15 per cent up to 50 per cent across a wide range of selected products and top brands, including gifts with purchase on some products."

"We also launched two gold promotions in partnership with Malabar and Produits Artistiques Métaux Précieux, to give shoppers the opportunity to win a guaranteed gold coin or one kilo gold bar. There is also a discount up to five per cent for travelers, who choose to use the retailer's website for online pre-order shopping so they can make their purchase even before they arrive here," he added.