Dubai Duty Free has revealed that its sales reached $1.74 billion ( Dhs6.339 billion) in 2022, representing a 78 per cent increase over the previous year.
The airport retailer reported more than 17.3 million transactions across the year, averaging 46,912 per day, with 47.3 million units of merchandise sold.
Executive vice chairman and CEO of Dubai Duty Free, Colm McLoughlin, said, “We are thrilled to announce such a positive year as travel returns during which the operation went from strength to strength. I would like to thank our Chairman, H.H. Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, for his ongoing support and I join him in thanking our great team of staff, our suppliers and of course our customers, who are fundamental to our continued growth and success.”
With sales of $310.66 million, perfumes contributed 18 per cent of total sales and retained their position as the bestseller.
Gold recorded sales of $172.41 million and contributed 10 per cent towards total revenue. Cigarettes & tobacco came in fourth place with sales amounting to $154.07 million and accounted for 9 per cent of total revenue while electronics came in fifth place with sales of $137.59 million accounting for 8 per cent of total annual sales.
Online sales during last year accounted for 2.54 per cent of the overall sales, reaching $44.16 million. Sales in departures across the operation totalled $1.53 billion representing 88 per cent of total annual sales, while arrivals sales amounted to $157.092 million, accounting for 9 per cent of total annual sales.
In August, the Duty Free recorded a 104 per cent increase in sales for the first eight months clocking $1.06 billion.
December sales were complementarily bolstered by Dubai Duty Free’s 39th-anniversary celebrations when the operation offered a 25 per cent discount from December 18-20, which brought in extra $29.4 million during the three-day period.
In addition, Dubai Duty Free received the Gulf Business ‘Retail Company of the Year’ award and the sixteenth consecutive Global Traveller Award for ‘Best Duty-Free Shopping in the World’.
