Dubai Duty Free has achieved a new milestone as it heads into the final two months of the year, announcing all-time high October sales of AED805.6 million ($220.7 million) and marking its eighth-record month out of ten this year.
Ranked first among the
eight record-breaking months in 2025, October sales exceeded the previous
October record set in 2023 of AED692 million ($189 million), underscoring the
operation’s sustained growth momentum, reported WAM.
October also recorded
the third-highest monthly sales in Dubai Duty Free’s history, following the
all-time record of AED821.4 million ($225 million) achieved in December 2024.
In a strong indicator
of retail performance, October’s sales growth outstripped passenger traffic by
at least 10 per cent (the final passenger numbers for October will only be
released by Dubai Airport later this month), achieving an impressive 19.31 per cent
increase over October 2024.
Commenting on the
performance, Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, said, “A big
thank you goes to our Chairman, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum for his
unwavering support to our operation. Thanks also to the team at Dubai Duty Free
for their extraordinary hard work and dedication in meeting the needs of an
ever-increasing number of passengers.”
Year-to-date sales
reached AED6.88 billion ($1.885 billion), representing an 8.72 per cent
increase or AED552 million ($151 million) over the same period last year.
Perfumes continued to
dominate as the retailer’s top-selling category generated AED139.9 million ($38.3
million) in October.
Gold ranked second
with AED97.2 million ($26.6 million) fuelled by the
Diwali season and the
enduring appeal of the precious metal as both a luxury and cultural purchase.
Other leading
categories rounding out the top five performing categories, all contributing to
the strong October sales, include Liquor with sales of AED96.7 million ($26.5
million), while Confectionery recorded its highest ever sales at AED78 million
($21.4 million), driven by the continued success of “Dubai Chocolate”.
This subcategory also
achieved the highest individual sales, totalling AED34 million ($9.3 million)
with a staggering 428,000 pieces sold equivalent to 71 tons across nine brands
in October.
Tobacco also performed
strongly, recording AED74 million ($20.3 million) in sales.
Fashion boutiques
including Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Dior, Gucci and Cartier remain strong
contributors, performing extremely well with sales up 43.5 per cent over
October 2024.
The increase in sales
can be attributed in part to the opening of Louis Vuitton and Cartier boutiques
in September in Concourse A.
The second Louis
Vuitton boutique, spanning 280sqm, has quickly become a destination for
travellers seeking premium fashion.
Meanwhile, the second
Cartier boutique of 140sqm has also made a strong impact since its debut in
late September.
The sales in the
fashion boutiques underscore the spending power of international travellers and
the continued appeal of the luxury brands.
Standout transactions
in the luxury fashion category in October include AED2.2 million ($605,000)
sales from REKLAIM, Dubai Duty Free’s pre-owned luxury concept store, which
included the sale of an Audemars Piguet watch priced in excess of AED200,000 ($54,794)
in Concourse A and two Hermes Birkin handbags, each in excess of Dhs120,000 ($32,876)
purchased in Concourse D and the Emirates First-Class Lounge, respectively.
All locations
performed strongly, with Concourse A up 27.4 per cent, Concourse B up 21.5 per cent,
Concourse C up 21.9 per cent, Concourse D up 11.2 per cent, and Terminal 2 up
13.1 per cent.
Arrivals recorded an
18.3 per cent increase despite competition within the airport.
Momentum was also
evident across key regions and markets. Sales to passengers travelling to
Africa, the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, the Far East, and Australasia
all rose by more than 20 per cent.
Russia recorded an increase of 14.2 per cent, while Africa was up 18.5 per cent. The Indian-sub continent showed the smallest growth among the regions, with sales up 6.62 per cent.