Abu Dhabi, 9 Oct, 05 (WAM) - The changing demographics of travellerspassing through Abu Dhabi are having an impact on the types ofsales at Abu Dhabi Duty Free.
The airport has posted significant improvements in revenue overthe same period last year. Sales increased 8.5 per cent, ledby an increasing throughput of Swiss, German and British passengers.
The biggest categories contributing to the sales were liquorand tobacco with 20.75 per cent, confectionery with 18.52 percent and beauty and fragrance with 14.86 per cent, accordingto reports in the UAE's dailies.
However the pack reshuffles when the increase in sales is analysed.
Then beauty and fragrance leads with a sales increase of 21.15per cent, liquor and tobacco 11.6 per cent, the Destination Shop65.6 per cent, World of Cigars 33.5 per cent and gold 6.78 percent.These results reflect the change in the passenger profile inTerminal 1 as Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi headquartered carrier,increases its destinations in Europe.
Etihad Airways has flights to Munich, Frankfort, Geneva andLondon and this has resulted in Swiss, German and British passengerstaking a higher share of Duty Free business. Flights to Canada,Brussels and Johannesburg later this year will increase thistrend.
August statistics show that GCC airlines contributed the highestnumber of customers who accounted for 66.5 per cent of salesby spending an average of Dh182 per person. Etihad Airways madean impact by contributing 26.3 per cent to this figure, an increaseof 138.1 per cent over last year's figure.
Subcontinent airlines contributed 11.8 per cent with an averageof Dh170 per person and European airlines 7.6 per cent with anaverage Dh198 per person.
