LVMH has revealed that the increasing spending power of Chinese travellers was the main factor behind a strong set of year-end financial results for DFS Group, one of the world’s leading luxury retailers. The French luxury goods group reported that its Selective Retailing division, which includes DFS Group along with Miami Cruiseline and beauty chain Sephora, posted a 10 per cent increase in profit in…

The Canadian Airports Council has called on the country’s government to introduce duty-free arrivals shopping. CAC has developed a powerful economic case for the adoption of arrivals shopping. It estimates the opening of arrivals shops would give the C$174 million Canadian airport duty-free business a sales boost of C$61 million, create 400 new jobs, and generate C$7.2 million in additional federal tax revenue.

"The initial idea for the bar came out of our ongoing discussions with WDF about how we evolve and transform the retail environment," said Diageo global travel & Middle East marketing director Nick Robinson. "The concept gradually emerged as a proper, functioning cocktail bar within the store rather than as a place to sample the brands. It’s definitely a first for us." He added that…

Bombay Sapphire gin has employed three leading names from the world of luxury goods and design – glassware manufacturer Baccarat, jeweller Garrard and artist Karim Rashid – to create five hand-made crystal bottles decorated with diamonds and sapphires. The five Revelation bottles, which are cut in to the shape of giant gemstones, will retail at US$200,000 each and will be exhibited exclusively at five key…

American Airlines has partnered with Internet broadcaster GrapeRadio to offer passengers in business and first class wine-specific programming on the airline’s in-flight entertainment programme. The broadcasts from US-based GrapeRadio, whose podcasts are listened to by 20,000 listeners nationwide, range in length from 30 to 60 minutes. The first programmes for American Airlines will include interviews with famous wine industry personalities such as Frederick Paniotis of…

The Middle East’s largest travel retailer Dubai Duty Free enjoyed a 40 per cent increase in wine sales by value last year thanks to the expansion of its top-end wine offer. Volumes grew by 17 per cent for the UAE-based airport operator, which generates a round 80 per cent of its wine sales in arrivals, and added 60 new wine SKU s to its…

Weak dollar "The problems with the US economy won’t become a factor until they spill over to other major world economies," he adds. "Then we would see a slow down in travel-retail sales. US citizens contribute a relatively small proportion of our North American duty-free sales. Business is driven by Europeans, Canadians, Asians and Mexicans and they are benefiting from the weak dollar." José Chao,…