Why do people buy duty-free at airports?

Duty-free stores are an enticing perk of international travel. These retail businesses sell merchandise that is exempt from duties and taxes with the understanding they will be taken out of the country for use. Many popular duty-free items found in airport shops include liquor, chocolate, and perfume.



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The main advantage of duty free shopping is that you can make big savings on items that are often quite pricey. Another great thing about duty free shopping is the chance to try out new products that are often test-marketed by big brands. You may also have access to products that are not available in your home country.

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Many people who fly a lot are wealthy, and many people who are wealthy fly a lot. They are also often very busy. For them, price matters less than brand and style, so if they need something, they are happy to pay the elevated price for an already expensive item at the airport.

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The truth is, for a lot of products, there isn't always much difference between duty-free and the prices you can get at home — especially if you're prepared to hunt online. The key differentials are tobacco and alcohol, which are both usually taxed heavily and therefore can be bought for a lot less at the airport.

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Import, value-added and sales taxes – aka duty – are imposed on imported and exported products. A duty-free shop, therefore, sells things without adding those taxes to the price. You'll find duty-free shops in international airports, cruise ships and areas where tourists congregate.

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If you open it at the gate or onboard, airline staff will confiscate your purchase, empty the liquor or perfume and throw out your candy or tobacco. Your goods will meet the same fate if you show up at your final destination and a customs agent sees that you've opened the bag or its contents.

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Duty-free shopping allows travelers to purchase items without paying tax on them. In the EU, products purchased in-between countries are taxable, but items you buy while traveling to, or away from, an EU country are duty-refund, and travelers can apply for a refund of the taxes they paid on such products.

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The answer is: sometimes. The savings you reap from duty-free shopping depend largely on what you're buying and where you're buying it. Bear in mind in many cases that you're not necessarily paying lower prices at the duty-free shop than you would pay for liquor or tobacco at any shop outside the airport.

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You are allowed to bring a quart-sized bag of liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes in your carry-on bag and through the checkpoint. These are limited to travel-sized containers that are 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less per item.

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Small personal item The airline states it cannot be larger than 40 x 20 x 25 centimeters (15.7 x 7.9 x 9.8 inches), but there is no weight limit. It should be stored under the seat in front of you.

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However, items sold in airport duty-free shops are usually safe to bring back from your trip abroad. In the U.S., you will be asked to fill out a U.S. Customs Form to declare any purchases made abroad.

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And at a duty-free store, while being slightly less expensive than elsewhere, it's guaranteed to be authentic, which is very important when it comes to buying this one of the mostly counterfeited brands.

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Due to US Customs regulations, all duty and tax free sales are final.

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Beverages were by far the most popular item, with bottled water ranking as the first through fifth most-sold item. Dasani's bottled 20 oz took first. The sixth most popular item was Diet Coke's 20 oz option, with regular Coke trailing directly behind.

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