The Best Things to Buy in Duty Free

For lots of people, the most exciting part of being in an airport is the duty free shopping. Duty free shopping is where tax is removed from the price of certain items, making them cheaper to buy in an airport than in a normal shop where the tax would still apply. This means it’s the perfect time to stock up on all your favorite products. But if you’re going to go on a shopping spree in duty free, what are the best things to pick up?

Beauty and fragrance are always popular buys in airports. This covers everything from premium makeup brands to luxury skincare and fine fragrance. Often, airports stock special sets or have special offers you won’t be able to find anywhere else, so if you find any limited edition sets, snap them up quickly before they disappear forever. Some duty free shops even stock discontinued products and end-of-line goods, so check to see if your old favourite is lurking at the back of a shelf in the beauty department.

If you like a tipple, airports always have a fantastic selection of duty free alcohol. Spirits in particular are the things to snap up here. You can get premium brands of vodka, rum and whiskey for several pounds less than you’d find them in a supermarket or off licence back at home, and there are often buy one get one free deals if you want to try a couple of varieties. Champagne is another popular buy, especially with the truly premium brands, and if there’s something worth celebrating it might be worth grabbing a bottle.

Designer clothing is another favourite with airport bargain hunters. Obviously the prices are sky high if you buy elsewhere, and there are rarely sales on the most popular products, so the only way you’ll be able to clinch yourself some cut-price designer clobber is in a duty free shopping area. If there’s a designer purchase you’ve been lusting over for months, hold off until your next visit to an airport. You could save yourself a small fortune.

If, after your spree, you find yourself with too many goodies to carry, why not send them home? Load them up into a box and get them sent back for you so that you don’t have to worry about breaking or losing anything so that you’ll receive them a few days later when you’ve settled back into life at home after your holiday.

About the author:
Gary Oldham is a frequent flyer who regularly blogs about his top tips for travellers