Dubai Duty Free said sales grew by about a quarter to hit a record high of nearly Dh7.9 billion ($2.16 billion) in 2023, reaching its target for the year, underpinned by continued growth in passenger traffic and booming activity in December.
Sales increased 24.4 per cent annually in 2023 and were up 6.4 per cent from 2019, the last year before the Covid-19 pandemic stalled travel worldwide, Dubai Duty Free said on Thursday.
The retailer said sales in December – when it marked its 40th anniversary – rose about 8.4 per cent year-on-year to a monthly record of Dh807.6 million, aided by a special sale on December 20 that generated Dh54.1 million in just 24 hours.
“We are thrilled to have achieved our target sales for the year, a record month in December and a record year in 2023 … overall, it has been a fantastic year,” Colm McLoughlin, executive vice chairman and chief executive of Dubai Duty Free, said.
Dubai Duty Free reported more than 20 million sales transactions throughout…
