CHINA. Chinese travellers are the most likely to use their smartphones in airport shops, as they seek information on products from the web and on social media.
European travellers are the least likely to do so, according to the latest Duty Free World Council (DFWC) quarterly KPI Monitor, produced in partnership with research and consultancy agency m1nd-set.
The report also shows that 53% of Chinese travellers use airport Wi-Fi to compare prices in duty free stores. Just 20% of European travellers do the same, and 19% in North America. The global average is 28%.
Chinese travellers are also the most active in seeking information about duty free shopping before travelling, with 50% doing so compared to a global average of 27%.
Across the globe, electronics, beauty and fashion are the categories that are most searched for, with tobacco, souvenirs and alcohol less affected.
DFWC’s global satisfaction index showed an overall gain of +1% on the previous quarter with Asia Pacific seeing a +2% improvement on the third quarter of 2016. The Middle East & Africa region suffered a -1% drop in overall satisfaction.
The aspects of the duty free shopping experience which have the most impact on the overall satisfaction level have evolved, DFWC said. ‘Service level’ moved from fifth to third place. ‘Products suitable for gifting’ entered the top five, which DFWC said was likely due to the impact of the festive period when gift purchasing is more common.
According to the research, 43% of travellers believe duty free is ‘part of the travel experience’. The percentage of travellers who agree duty free is a ‘great place to buy gifts’ has seen continued growth over the past four quarters, increasing to 37% in the fourth quarter of 2016. Other aspects that have seen an upward trend include the suitability of the retail channel to find new brands, which has risen from 23% to 26% since the last quarter, as well as the channel’s suitability for finding exclusive products, up +2% to 23%.
The report was compiled from interviews with over 4,000 travellers across all major world regions during the fourth quarter of 2016.
