Duty-free and Travel Retail Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

Duty-free and Travel Retail Market - Growth, Trends, COVID-19 Impact, and Forecasts (2022 - 2027)

The duty-free and travel retail market is projected to register a CAGR of greater than 7.5% during the forecast period, 2021-2026, due to the growing demand for retail chains that offer luxury and premium brands of various products.

The duty-free and travel retail market was hit hard in 2020 due to the sudden fall in tourism amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The tourism sector has already felt the negative impact of the pandemic on its performance much earlier. Globally, travel restrictions and measures started as early as January 2020. Domestic and international tourists limited their travel due to fear of contracting COVID-19, which reduced the number of domestic and international customers for this retail channel.

Duty-free and travel retail is a retailing channel offering products to international travelers. It is a significant source of income and has several marketing opportunities. The rising popularity of the travel and tourism industry is one of the primary factors driving the growth of the duty-free and travel retail market. Duty-free and travel retail provides temporary spaces that offer extra time to end users after security check-in and allow them to get entertained and indulgent with the ambiance and experience of shopping for international products. The increasing focus on digitalizing the retailing process, so that the companies can maximize their profits, may boost sales in the market. The growing demand for retail chains that offer luxury and premium brands of various products is augmenting the growth of the duty-free and travel retail market. The distribution channels offer value to passengers, enhance their experiences while traveling, and add value to economic activities. The low customer interest in shopping at airports is expected to restrain the growth of the market at these stores, owing reasons, such as lack of promotion campaigns at these stores and high prices of products. Several companies are partnering with duty-free stores to launch their limited or exclusive products, which is driving the market growth. By product type, the wines and spirits segment is expected to gain a major share during the forecast period.

Key Market TrendsDuty-free and Travel Retail Sales Globally

Duty-free and travel retail comprises a category in a growing list of ancillary offerings by airlines. For some low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers, the growth in the scope and magnitude of ancillary revenues has become key to their operations, allowing them to offer lower ticket prices and stimulate the overall demand for air travel as a result. Furthermore, when compared to airport duty-free and travel retail, the duty-free and travel retail sales generated by airlines are substantially smaller, both in magnitude and relative to the financial performance of the respective recipient.

In 2017, an estimated USD 36.2 billion was spent on duty-free and travel retail in the Asia-Pacific region. Airports and airlines accounted for nearly USD 21.2 billion in duty-free and travel retail sales, of which 75% occurred in the sub-region of East Asia. Duty-free and travel retail spending in the Asia-Pacific region accounted for an estimated 140,900 direct jobs and USD 7.6 billion in direct GDP.

Asia-Pacific is Anticipated to Dominate the Market

Asia-Pacific occupied more than one-third of the market share in 2017, and it is expected to grow at a significant rate during the forecast period. The increasing number of new air routes and the introduction of LCC carriers are among the main factors promoting the development of the Asia-Pacific duty-free and travel retail market. The rise in the consumption and purchasing power across China and India may have a positive impact on the market in this region.

In the region, the growing preference for differentiated and value-added products is boosting the people’s desire to travel, which in turn, is expected to increase the demand in the duty-free industry. The adoption of new lifestyles and the introduction of cheap destination travel packages by companies, such as MakeMyTrip, Cleartrip, and GoIbibo, may result in the growth of the global duty-free and travel retail market. Furthermore, the rapid penetration of social media and digitalization in the economy are expected to create lucrative opportunities for vendors operating in the Asia-Pacific market during the forecast period.

Competitive Landscape

The duty-free and travel retail market is highly fragmented, and the top players dominated the market with the majority share. The boom of the travel and tourism industry is encouraging the consumers to open new outlets and chains in the duty-free and travel retail market. The increasing focus on offering a diverse and wide range of products may enable the vendors to attract a large number of consumers and gain large market shares. The adoption of innovative promotional campaigns and attractive price offerings may help the players sustain the competition in the duty-free and travel retail market. Additionally, the procurement of super-premium and luxury products may help companies gain a competitive advantage over other vendors in the market during the forecast period. The report covers major international players operating in this sector. In terms of market share, few of the major players currently dominate the market.

Additional Benefits:

• The market estimate (ME) sheet in Excel format
• 3 months of analyst support

Companies Mentioned

Dufry
Lotte Duty Free
Lagardere Travel Retail
DFS Group
The Shilla Duty Free
Gebr. Heinemann
King Power International Group
China Duty Free Group
Ever Rich Duty Free
Dubai Duty Free
Duty Free Americas
Sinsegae Duty Free
Aer Rianta International
W H Smith

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