Canadian airport duty free sales surge +8% in March to C$35 million

CANADA. Airport duty free sales in Canada climbed +8% year-on-year in March to C$35 million (US$25.5 million).

National land border duty free sales dropped -0.33% to C$9.5 million (US$6.9 million), according to figures from the Canadian Border Services Agency (and reported by the Frontier Duty Free Association).

In the first three months of 2017, land border sales were down -4% year-on-year, to C$24 million (US$17.5 million). Airport duty free sales increased +7%, to C$104 million (US$75.9 million).

The Prairie Region saw sales of approximately C$614,000 (US$448,000) in March, a decrease of -0.61%. For January-March 2017 sales equalled C$1.6 million (US$1.17 million), a drop of -2%.

Sales in the Pacific declined -16% in March to C$1.4 million (US$1 million). Sales also fell -16% in the first three months of 2017 to C$4 million (US$2.9 million).

The Ontario sales figure for March was C$5.9 million (US$4.3 million), an increase of +6.39%. For January-March sales were up slightly (+0.34%) to C$14.9 million (US$10.9 million).

Sales in the Atlantic/Quebec region fell -5.95% in March to C$1.4 million (US$1 million). Sales fell -6.3% in the first three months of the year, to C$4.1 million (US$3 million).

The main categories that dominated sales in land border duty free in March were as follows (in order of sales highest to lowest):

  1. Alcohol (liquor, liqueur, wine, coolers)
  2. Tobacco, Cigars, Loose Tobacco
  3. Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare
  4. Food
  5. Beer (beer, malt-based coolers)
  6. Jewellery, Watches, Clocks
  7. Accessories (purses, wallets, sunglasses, etc.)
  8. Clothing (including hats, fur, leather)
  9. Souvenirs
  10. Office and Travel Supplies
  11. Glassware, crystal, china, figurines, porcelain
  12. Other
  13. Crafts/Arts
  14. Electronics, Cameras, Binoculars, etc.
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