Gitnux/Report 2026

Duty Free Industry Statistics

Duty Free Industry’s latest statistics map how passengers, spending, and traveler preferences are reshaping the channel now, with 2025 figures showing a clear momentum shift. The standout contrasts between duty free and airport retail signals where demand is cooling, where it is accelerating, and what operators need to watch next.
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November 11, 2026Updated
Duty Free Industry Statistics
Diana ReevesWritten by Diana Reeves·Edited by Kevin O'Brien·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Before any source is gathered, an editor locks the question, what qualifies, and how the piece will be judged.

02Source Research

Search agents collect the source set and pull each data point out with its provenance attached.

Read our full methodology →

Search agents attach provenance to every extracted figure.

Next review: within 31 days

01 Industry overview

The duty free industry at a glance

Global duty-free and travel retail sales reached $75.95 billion in 2025, up 2.4% year on year, but passenger growth and regional recovery remain uneven.

$75.95B[10]
Global sales, 2025
2.4%[10]
Year-on-year growth, 2025
40.2%[16]
Asia-Pacific share, 2025
55.0%[11]
Airport channel share, 2024
Market size
Global duty-free and travel retail sales reached $75.95 billion in 2025, according to Generation Research data reported by DFNI. The 2024 comparable was approximately $74.17 billion.[10]
Forecast & CAGR
GlobalData forecasts the global duty-free market to reach $79.4 billion by 2030, implying a 5.0% CAGR from 2025 to 2030. Other commercial forecasts vary because market definitions differ between duty-free retail and broader travel retail.[47]
Market share & regions
Asia-Pacific accounted for 40.2% of global duty-free and travel retail sales in 2025. In 2024, Asia-Pacific generated $32.31 billion, followed by Europe at $22.56 billion, the Americas at $11.48 billion, the Middle East at $6.54 billion and Africa at $0.84 billion.[16][11]
Segmentation
Airport shops represented 55.0% of worldwide duty-free and travel retail sales in 2024, compared with 40.2% for other shops, 2.5% for ferries and 2.3% for airlines. Fragrances and cosmetics were the largest product category at 34.9%, followed by wines and spirits at 15.7% and fashion and accessories at 15.6%.[11]
Key players & concentration
The market includes global operators such as Avolta, Lagardère Travel Retail, China Tourism Group Duty Free, DFS, Lotte Duty Free and Gebr. Heinemann. Lagardère Travel Retail reported €5.812 billion of 2024 revenue, 24,914 employees, more than 4,900 stores and restaurants, and operations in nearly 300 airports, illustrating the scale of leading operators without establishing a reliable global concentration ratio.[17]
Pricing
Reliable global average-price data were not identified. Oliver Wyman reports that narrowing price differentials, including stronger domestic luxury propositions in China, are reducing the traditional price advantage of travel retail and contributing to a revenue gap estimated at $5 billion versus 2019 sales-per-passenger levels.[48]
Trends, drivers & challenges
Travel demand and passenger traffic remain the main growth drivers, while airport infrastructure investment supported strong performance in Europe and the Middle East in 2025. The industry still faces uneven regional recovery, weaker spending by Chinese travelers in traditional channels, narrowing price advantages and geopolitical disruption.[10][48]
Consumer behavior & competition
The Duty Free World Council reported that interaction between travelers and sales staff rose to 53% in 2025 from 49% in 2024, and 74% of those interactions positively influenced a purchase decision. Oliver Wyman estimates that Gen Z and millennials accounted for 61% of airline travel spending in 2025, with their share projected to approach 80% by 2035.[16][48]
M&A
China Tourism Group Duty Free completed its acquisition of DFS’s Greater China retail business on March 19, 2026, paying $294 million after agreed adjustments and excluding the DFS Canton Road store in Hong Kong. The transaction also included new share subscriptions by LVMH and the Miller family.[9]
Regulation
In the United States, a September 2, 2025 Federal Register notice implemented the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments from all countries under Executive Order 14324. The measure concerns low-value imported parcels rather than airport duty-free retail, but it illustrates the broader regulatory tightening around duty-free treatment.[49]
Latest news
The latest reported industry result is that global duty-free and travel retail sales rose 2.4% to $75.95 billion in 2025. In 2026, China Tourism Group Duty Free completed its $294 million acquisition of DFS’s Greater China retail business, strengthening consolidation in the Asian travel-retail market.[10][9]

02 Ranking

Top 10 Companies in the Duty Free Industry

The leading companies in the duty free industry, ranked on market impact, performance, momentum, innovation and brand popularity.

Updated November 11, 2026 · Next review December 11, 2026

Verdict

Avolta leads Gitnux's 2026 duty free ranking with an Overall score of 9.9, with Club Avolta at one loyalty transaction every 2 seconds after year one. Lagardère is the highest-ranked travel retail operator at 9.5, with €5.812 billion 2024 Lagardère Travel Retail revenue across nearly 300 airports.

Ranked by Overall score · How we score ↓

Editor's top 3 picks

Where to start, by need.

  1. #1 Overall · Leader in airport duty-free retail

    Avolta

    CH

    Ranked #1 · 9.9 · Airport duty-free retail

    Why we picked it: It pairs airport duty-free retail with a loyalty data engine generating one transaction every 2 seconds.

    See in ranking ↓Visit avoltaworld.com ↗

  2. Leader in travel retail operator

    Lagardère

    FR

    Ranked #2 · 9.5 · Travel retail operator

    Why we picked it: It runs large-scale airport networks for duty-free and travel essentials, with €5.812 billion revenue in 2024.

    See in ranking ↓Visit lagardere.com ↗

  3. #3 overall

    China Tourism Group Duty Free

    CN

    Ranked #3 · 9.1 · Airport duty-free retail

    Why we picked it: Its 2025 China duty-free merchandise sales reached CNY39.2bn, indicating high local channel throughput.

    See in ranking ↓Visit cdfg.com.cn ↗

Pick 1 is the #1 company overall. Pick 2 is the highest-ranked company in the top 5 that adds a new segment; no further segment places in the top 5, so pick 3 follows rank.

Full ranking

Sort by
Top 10 companies in the duty free industry, 2026 – Gitnux ranking
#CompanyOverall ↓Company snapshot
1

Avolta

Airport duty-free retail · CH

9.9
2

Lagardère

Travel retail operator · FR

9.5
3

China Tourism Group Duty Free

Airport duty-free retail · CN

9.1
4

Duty Free Americas

Airport duty-free retail · US

7.7
5

The Shilla Duty Free

Airport duty-free retail · KR

7.5
6

King Power International Group

Thailand and international duty-free retail · TH

7.5
7

Lotte Duty Free

Korean and international duty-free retail · KR

7.4
8

Qatar Duty Free

Doha airport duty-free and travel retail · QA

7.3
9

DFS Group

Luxury duty-free and travel retail · HK

7.0
10

Dubai Duty Free

Dubai airport duty-free retail · AE

7.0

How we score

  • Impact (30%): scale and weight in the market (revenue, market share, employees, market position).

Popularity (brand search demand, 15%) counts toward Overall but is not published as a column. Overall leaves out what is not known.

Scale Scores are shown on a 7–10 scale with one decimal; bars start at 7.0.

Cadence Recalculated when new figures are published; next review December 11, 2026.

Independence. Rankings are editorially independent. Scores, ranks, picks and the verdict follow the method above; no company can pay to change them.

Cite this ranking

APA

Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Top 10 companies in the duty free industry. In Duty Free Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/duty-free-industry-statistics/#top-companies

report visual · Comparison

Revenue of the largest duty free companies

Avolta leads with $15.8B in annual revenue (group level, converted to USD).

Avolta$15.8B
Lagardère$10.1B
China Tourism Group Duty Free$7.5B
The Shilla Duty Free$2.4B
Duty Free Americas$2.4B
Lotte Duty Free$2.1B
source-verifiedavoltaworld.com · lagardere.com · financialfilings.com · dfnionline.com · dutyfreeamericas.com · en.sedaily.com2025

04 Statistics

Technology & Innovation

In 2026, 68% of international travellers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying. At the same time, 64% of those researchers walked past airport stores without purchasing.

AI in the duty free industry

  • 68% of international travellers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying on their last trip in 2026.[1]
  • 64% of travellers who used AI or social media to research travel retail subsequently walked past airport stores without purchasing in 2026.[1]
  • 77% of Millennial travellers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying on their last trip in 2026.[1]
  • 68% of surveyed travel-retail shoppers said they double-check AI-generated recommendations through other sources in 2026.[1]
  • 42% more likely to arrive with a shopping shortlist were travellers who researched travel-retail offers before travelling in 2026.[1]
  • 72% of Gen Z travellers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying on their last trip in 2026.[1]

Automation in the duty free industry

  • Self-checkout and just-walk-out technologies were being added by many airport retailers to reduce passenger queues in 2025.[2]
  • 1 telepresence robot technology deployment was operating at iGA Istanbul Airport’s duty-free operator Unifree in 2025.[2]
  • Most duty-free retailers were offering click-and-collect services in airport retail by January 2025.[2]

Digital Transformation in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and consumer-goods companies, 70% of business functions had generative AI adopted or piloted in 2025.[3]
  • Among EU large businesses, 96% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU businesses, 74% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2024.[4]
  • Among EU small and medium-sized enterprises, 71% reached at least a basic level of digital intensity in 2025.[4]

Technology Adoption in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across US and European retailers, 23% had fully scaled wireless communication technologies such as RFID or Bluetooth in 2025.[5]
  • Across US and European retailers, 66% had moved beyond exploration and testing of store-intelligence technologies in 2025.[5]
  • Across US and European retailers, 27% had fully scaled cameras and sensors in 2025.[5]
  • Across US and European retailers, 16% had fully scaled artificial intelligence in 2025.[5]
  • Across US and European retailers, 21% had fully scaled edge computing technologies in 2025.[5]

Cloud Computing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.69% used cloud-based office software in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 71.53% used cloud-based file storage in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 85.15% used cloud-based email in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises, 52.74% used paid cloud-computing services in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises using paid cloud services, 45.52% hosted enterprise databases in the cloud in 2025.[4]

Big Data in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail companies, 64% said their customer data was structured and accessible enough to support artificial-intelligence use cases in 2025.[6]
  • Across EU enterprises, 26.20% performed data analytics on transaction records such as sales and payment records in 2025.[4]
  • Across EU enterprises, 33.02% performed data analytics using their own employees in 2025.[4]
  • Across retail companies, 23% were using artificial intelligence in production to resolve customer identities or prepare customer data for marketing or analytics in 2025.[6]

Blockchain in the duty free industry

  • 8.7% was the ticket-conversion rate to the Bow Street Experience generated by the Jameson Travel Wallet pilot in Dublin in 2023.[1]
  • 1 three-month Jameson Travel Wallet pilot used Web3, blockchain and NFT technology with travellers at Dublin Airport in 2023.[1]
  • 1,160 wallets were created during the Jameson Travel Wallet blockchain pilot at Dublin Airport in 2023.[1]

05 Statistics

Data & Analytics

Data program outputs show loyalty and CRM scale. Club Avolta generated one loyalty transaction every 2 seconds after its first year, and cdf Hainan recorded 800+ original social-media pieces in 2025.

Business intelligence in the duty free industry

  • One loyalty transaction every 2 seconds was generated by Club Avolta after its first year.[7]
  • 16 million+ members joined Club Avolta within one year of its October 2024 launch.[7]
  • 50 major airports were covered by Dufry’s field research and customer-interview programme in 2022.[8]
  • 22 stores across three channels were covered by China Tourism Group Duty Free’s year-end customer survey in 2024.[9]
  • 150 data specialists were consolidated into Avolta’s dedicated group data team in 2025.[7]
  • 24,500+ international travellers were included in the DFWC’s full-year 2025 KPI-monitor research dataset.[10]

Data analytics in the duty free industry

  • 50% was the reduction in delivery-related complaints after China Tourism Group Duty Free strengthened fragile-goods packaging in 2025.[11]
  • 680,000+ impressions were generated by cdf Hainan’s 800+ original social-media content pieces in 2025.[11]
  • 178,000+ users had been accumulated in China Tourism Group Duty Free’s CRM system by December 2025.[12]
  • 15.51% was the smart-customer-service ticket error rate before cdf Hainan’s process optimisation in 2024.[9]
  • 81.7% was the year-on-year increase in China Tourism Group Duty Free repurchase revenue through CRM in December 2025.[12]
  • 3.84% was the smart-customer-service ticket error rate at cdf Hainan after process optimisation in 2024.[9]

Data Quality in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents rated their identity-resolution ability only somewhat effective in 2024.[13]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 48% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods only somewhat effective in 2024.[13]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 66% of respondents identified data-quality controls as a significant challenge in 2024.[13]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 62% of respondents rated their data-management practices only somewhat effective in 2024.[13]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 29% of respondents rated their customer-data collection methods not very effective in 2024.[13]

Data Governance in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 53.5% of respondents said regulatory compliance was not a significant data challenge in 2025.[14]
  • Across retail and e-commerce, 57% of respondents identified data governance as a significant challenge in 2024.[13]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 31% of respondents cited the lack of a corporate data strategy and semantic layer as a key challenge in 2025.[15]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 66% of respondents said their data-management capabilities were only somewhat unified in 2025.[14]
  • Across retail and CPG companies, 35% of respondents cited inconsistent or incorrect answers to data questions as a governance-related blocker in 2025.[15]
  • Across retail and consumer-products companies, 96% of respondents said breaking down data silos was a significant challenge in 2025.[14]

KPIs in the duty free industry

  • 91.1 million international departures came from Indian travellers in 2025.[10]
  • 221 million+ international departures came from US travellers in 2025, the highest total among listed nationalities.[10]
  • 7% was the increase in global international departures in 2025, reaching 2.28 billion.[10]
  • 95 million international departures came from French travellers in 2025.[10]
  • 177.4 million international departures came from UK travellers in 2025.[10]
  • 131 million international departures came from German travellers in 2025.[10]

06 Statistics

Strategy & Growth

Concession wins and consolidation shape growth in 2026. China Tourism Group Duty Free completed its $294 million acquisition of DFS’s Greater China retail business on March 19, 2026.

Growth in the duty free industry

  • US$2.07 billion was Duty Free Americas’ revenue in 2023.[16]
  • €2.193 billion was Lagardère Travel Retail’s 2024 Duty Free and Fashion revenue, up 13.3% year on year.[17]
  • €5.812 billion was Lagardère Travel Retail’s total revenue in 2024.[17]
  • 5%–7% is Avolta’s medium-term annual organic-growth target.[8]
  • 9.4% was Avolta’s organic growth rate in Europe, the Middle East and Africa in 2024.[8]
  • US$2.164 billion was Dubai Duty Free’s record sales value in 2024.[16]

Differentiation in the duty free industry

  • 188 Avolta locations offered Reserve & Collect in 2025.[8]
  • 53 Avolta hybrid concepts combined retail and food-and-beverage formats globally in 2024.[8]
  • More than 10 million members joined Avolta’s global Club Avolta loyalty program by 2024.[8]
  • 38% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s 2024 revenue came from Duty Free and Fashion.[17]
  • 29% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s 2024 revenue came from Dining, alongside its Duty Free and Travel Essentials businesses.[17]
  • 1,976 products were covered by Avolta’s sustainable product-selection initiative in 2025.[8]

Mergers and acquisitions in the duty free industry

  • 150 million additional travelers were expected to become accessible annually through Avolta’s Free Duty acquisition.[8]
  • 49% of Extime Duty Free Paris was acquired by Lagardère Travel Retail in the two years preceding its 2025 registration document.[17]
  • 51% of Penha Duty Free Group was agreed for acquisition by Avolta in 2026.[18]
  • CHF47 million was Penha Duty Free Group’s approximate revenue in 2025 before Avolta’s 2026 acquisition announcement.[18]
  • 6 Hong Kong store locations were included in Avolta’s Free Duty acquisition in 2024.[8]
  • 70% of Schiphol Consumer Services Holding BV was acquired by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2025.[17]

Strategic partnerships in the duty free industry

  • 3,000 square metres of commercial space were included in Lagardère Travel Retail’s Lima Airport duty-free partnership.[17]
  • More than 60 Relay stores were operated through Lagardère’s partnership with Groupe ADP at Paris airports in 2024.[17]
  • 50% was Lagardère Travel Retail’s ownership share in Extime Travel Essentials Paris in 2024.[17]
  • 11 years was the duration of Avolta’s newly awarded John F. Kennedy Terminal 8 concession contracts announced in 2024.[19]
  • 18 years was the duration of Avolta’s Terminal 6 operating contract at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport announced in 2024.[8]
  • 13 years was the term of Lagardère Travel Retail’s profit-sharing duty-free concession with Lima Airport Partners in Peru.[17]

07 Statistics

People & Workforce

Workforce patterns still matter for delivery and operations. Avolta recorded 2,746 new hires in Asia Pacific in 2025 and 50,000-plus team members completed compliance training in 2025.

Hiring in the duty free industry

  • 2,746 new hires were recorded by Avolta in Asia Pacific in 2025.[8]
  • 19,441 new hires were recorded by Avolta in EMEA in 2025.[8]
  • 14,809 Avolta new hires were under age 30 in 2024.[8]
  • 13,169 new hires were recorded by Avolta in North America in 2025.[8]
  • 21,549 female new hires were recorded by Avolta globally in 2025.[8]

Remote Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 15.14% of full paid working days in 2022.[20]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 13.46% of full paid working days in 2024.[20]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.03% of full paid working days in 2023.[20]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.09% of full paid working days in 2026.[20]
  • Across U.S. retail trade, employees worked from home for 14.02% of full paid working days in 2025.[20]

Hybrid Work in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across U.K. employers, 65% required hybrid employees to attend the workplace a minimum number of days in 2025.[21]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 42% used mandated office days as their hybrid-work model in 2025.[22]
  • Across retail organizations globally, 55% of employees worked from the office five days per week in 2025.[22]
  • Across U.K. employers, 42% had a formal hybrid-working policy in 2025.[21]
  • Across U.K. employers, 23% used informal manager-employee arrangements for hybrid work in 2025.[21]

Upskilling in the duty free industry

  • 38% of Avolta’s formal training hours focused on operational skills in 2025.[8]
  • 17% of Avolta’s formal training hours focused on health, safety and quality in 2025.[8]
  • 7% of Avolta’s formal training hours focused on compliance in 2025.[8]
  • 50,000-plus Avolta team members completed compliance training in 2025.[8]
  • 11% of Avolta’s formal training hours focused on managerial skills in 2025.[8]

Employee Engagement in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • Across retail employees, 84% would recommend their company as a great place to work in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[23]
  • Across retail employees, 71% agreed their company contributed to their learning and development in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset.[23]
  • Across retail employees in Culture Amp’s 2024 dataset, 70% were engaged in 2025 reporting.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% were promoters of their organizations in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[23]
  • Across U.S. retail workers, 24% reported one or more symptoms of burnout in Seramount’s spring 2025 survey.[23]

DEI in the duty free industry

  • 46% of Avolta employees worked in EMEA in 2025.[7]
  • 8% of Avolta employees worked in Asia Pacific in 2025.[7]
  • 10% of Avolta employees worked in Latin America in 2025.[7]
  • 100% of Lagardère Travel Retail managers were targeted to receive diversity-and-inclusion awareness training under its 2025 commitments.[24]
  • 59.84% of China Tourism Group Duty Free employees were female at the end of 2025.[25]

08 Statistics

Customer & Sales

Sales outcomes stay tied to staff interaction. In Q2 2026, 56% of global duty free shoppers interacted with sales staff, and 75% of those interactions positively influenced the purchase decision.

Customer experience in the duty free industry

  • 71% of shoppers said sales-staff interaction positively influenced their purchase decision in 2023.[1]
  • 65% of global duty free shoppers interacted with sales staff in 2022.[1]
  • 56% of global duty free shoppers interacted with sales staff during their last visit in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 75% of duty free shoppers who interacted with sales staff were positively influenced by their advice in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 74% of duty free shoppers who interacted with sales staff were positively influenced by their advice in full-year 2025.[26]

Customer loyalty in the duty free industry

  • 16% of global duty free shoppers cited loyalty to a brand as a purchase driver in Q2 2025.[26]
  • 18% of global duty free shoppers cited loyalty to a brand as a purchase driver in Q1 2026.[26]
  • 19% of global duty free shoppers cited loyalty to a brand as a purchase driver in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 15% of global duty free shoppers cited brand loyalty as an appeal factor in 2024.[26]
  • 16% of global duty free shoppers cited loyalty to a brand as an appeal factor in full-year 2025.[26]

09 Statistics

Marketing & Brand

Pre-trip discovery varies and can fail to convert in-store. In Q2 2026, 32% of global duty free shoppers were exposed to pre-shopping information before entering a store.

Marketing in the duty free industry

  • 32% of global duty free shoppers were exposed to pre-shopping information before entering a store in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 27% of global duty free shoppers identified good value for money as the leading appeal factor in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 21% of global duty free shoppers identified convenience as a duty free appeal factor in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 21% of duty free shoppers exposed to pre-store touchpoints used a general internet search in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 24% of global duty free shoppers cited good value for money as a purchase driver in Q2 2024.[16]

Digital marketing in the duty free industry

  • 17% of global duty free shoppers used general internet search for pre-shopping information in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 16% of global duty free shoppers searched duty free retailer website content before shopping in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 15% of global duty free shoppers searched travel website content before shopping in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 11% of global duty free shoppers searched duty free retailer website content before shopping in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 8% of global duty free shoppers used other shopping-related websites for information about the duty free offer in Q1 2025.[1]

Branding in the duty free industry

  • 18% of global duty free shoppers cited a trendy brand as a purchase driver in Q1 2026.[26]
  • 64% of global duty free shoppers looked for travel retail exclusives or unique products in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 63% of global duty free shoppers looked for products they had never bought before in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 65% of global duty free shoppers looked for travel retail exclusives or unique products in Q2 2026.[26]
  • 17% of global duty free shoppers cited a trendy brand as a purchase driver in Q2 2025.[26]

Social media in the duty free industry

  • 14% of global duty free shoppers searched social media content before shopping in Q1 2026.[1]
  • 13% of global duty free shoppers searched social media content before shopping in full-year 2025.[26]
  • 15% of global duty free shoppers searched social media content for duty free information in 2022.[27]
  • 11% of global duty free shoppers searched social media content for duty free information in 2023.[27]
  • 16% of global duty free shoppers searched social media content before shopping in Q2 2026.[26]

Influencer Marketing in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 58% of brands integrated retail media networks and creator marketing platforms by amplifying creator-generated content on retail media channels in 2025.[28]
  • 80% of brands investing in creator marketing increased creator budgets in 2026, while 25% raised creator spending by more than 10%.[28]
  • 91% of brands investing in creator marketing ran an always-on component in 2026, including 62% with hybrid programs and 29% with fully continuous programs.[28]
  • 49% of brands investing in creator marketing reported sales as an impact of creator activity in 2026, compared with 60% citing brand sentiment and 58% citing awareness.[28]
  • 78% of surveyed brands reported growing creator-marketing budgets in 2025, up from 36% reporting budget growth in 2024.[28]

10 Statistics

Operations & Execution

Channel execution remains central, with airports dominating. In 2024, airport shops represented 55.0% of worldwide duty-free and travel retail sales.

Process optimization in the duty free industry

  • CHF 6,145.6 million of Dufry’s 2022 sales came through airport channels, representing the company’s largest operating channel globally.[29]
  • CHF 3,857.9 million of Dufry’s 2022 sales were duty-free sales across EMEA, Asia Pacific, the Americas and global duty-free operations.[29]
  • 9.9% was Dufry’s core EBITDA margin in 2021, before improving to 8.8% in 2022 as operations recovered and the cost base expanded.[29]
  • CHF 3,391.9 million of Dufry’s 2022 EMEA sales were generated through airports, making airports the dominant regional operating format.[29]
  • 5.9% was Avolta’s 2025 core-revenue growth at constant exchange rates, supported by resilient travel demand and spend per passenger.[7]

Operational efficiency in the duty free industry

  • 8.1% of Dufry’s 2022 turnover was represented by other expenses, net, in the company’s core accounts.[29]
  • CHF 606.2 million was Dufry’s 2022 core EBITDA on CHF 6,878.4 million of turnover, producing an 8.8% core EBITDA margin.[29]
  • 61% was Flughafen Zürich’s 2024 duty-free gross-profit margin.[30]
  • 7% was Flughafen Zürich’s 2024 duty-free ratio for other expenses as a percentage of turnover.[30]
  • 40 basis points was the reported improvement in Flughafen Zürich’s 2024 EBITDA margin under its Destination 2027 program.[30]

Quality management in the duty free industry

  • 19% of global cruise duty-free buyers cited packaging as a purchase driver in 2025.[31]
  • 22% of global cruise duty-free buyers cited attractive display as a purchase driver in 2025.[31]
  • 31% of global cruise duty-free buyers purchased for a treat in 2025, making it the second-ranked purchase driver.[31]
  • 41% of global cruise duty-free buyers in 2025 identified good quality as a purchase driver.[31]
  • 46% of American global cruise duty-free buyers cited good quality as a purchase driver in 2025.[31]

Supply chain in the duty free industry

  • CHF 896.5 million was Dufry’s 2022 global sales of tobacco goods.[29]
  • CHF 183.5 million was Dufry’s 2022 global sales of electronics.[29]
  • CHF 1,920.2 million was Dufry’s 2022 global sales of perfumes and cosmetics across its operating regions.[29]
  • CHF 102.6 million was Dufry’s 2022 global sales of literature and publications.[29]
  • CHF 463.0 million was Dufry’s 2022 global sales of products classified as other.[29]

Outsourcing / Offshoring in the retail and e-commerce sector (sector benchmark)

  • 57% of retail organizations with $50 million–$100 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[32]
  • 74% of retailers surveyed sourced internationally, including 71% of small companies and 84% of larger companies, in 2024.[33]
  • Among U.S. apparel imports, China’s share fell from 30% in 2019 to 21% in 2023, while other Asian suppliers’ share rose from 30% to 35%.[34]
  • 72% of retail organizations with $100 million–$150 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[32]
  • 76% of retail organizations with $150 million–$200 million in revenue outsourced some or all fulfillment in 2025.[32]

11 Statistics

Finance & Pricing

Price advantage is narrowing, affecting revenue gaps versus 2019 sales-per-passenger. Oliver Wyman estimates a $5 billion revenue gap versus 2019 levels.

Pricing strategy in the duty free industry

  • 50% of global travel-retail shoppers identified value as a purchase driver in the first half of 2026, down from 74% in 2016.[27]
  • 14% of global travel-retail shoppers ranked price advantage among the leading purchase priorities in the second quarter of 2024.[16]

Cost reduction in the duty free industry

  • 39.0% of Dufry’s 2022 turnover was cost of sales, down from 43.5% in 2021.[29]
  • 8.1% of Dufry’s 2022 turnover was other expenses, net, compared with 5.4% in 2021.[29]
  • 10% of Flughafen Zürich’s 2024 duty-free turnover was personnel expense.[30]
  • 14.5% of Dufry’s 2022 turnover was personnel expense, compared with 16.2% in 2021.[29]
  • 7% of Flughafen Zürich’s 2024 duty-free turnover was other expense.[30]

Profitability in the duty free industry

  • 1.5% was Dufry’s 2022 core profit attributable to equity holders as a percentage of turnover.[29]
  • RM 55.2 million was Duty Free International’s fiscal-2026 EBITDA before exceptional items.[35]
  • CHF 189.6 million was Dufry’s 2022 core net profit.[29]
  • CHF 606.2 million was Dufry’s 2022 core EBITDA.[29]
  • 6.8% was Dufry’s 2022 core EBIT margin.[29]

Financial planning in the duty free industry

  • RM 212.6 million was Duty Free International’s revenue for fiscal 2026.[35]
  • CHF 175.6 million was Dufry’s 2022 core financial result expense.[29]
  • CHF 3,915.4 million was Dufry’s 2021 turnover, against which its 2022 recovery was measured.[29]
  • EUR 500 million was the senior-notes issuance Avolta completed in 2025 to refinance 2026 notes and repay revolving credit.[7]
  • RM 157.3 million was Duty Free International’s revenue for fiscal 2024.[35]

12 Statistics

Product & Service

Beauty and spirits lead category recovery. Fragrances and cosmetics were 34.9% of worldwide duty-free and travel retail sales in 2024, with wines and spirits at 15.7%.

Product development in the duty free industry

  • 41 products were exclusive to Dubai Duty Free in the new Arrivals store in 2020.[10]
  • 15% of global duty free and travel retail sales came from wines and spirits in 2023.[36]
  • 121 travel-retail-exclusive liquor products were carried in Dubai Duty Free’s new Arrivals store in 2020.[10]
  • 45% of global duty free and travel retail sales came from Asia-Pacific in 2023, the industry’s largest regional market for product expansion.[36]
  • 36% of global duty free and travel retail sales came from fragrances and cosmetics in 2023, the sector’s largest product category.[36]

Product lifecycle in the duty free industry

  • 165 Duty Free & Fashion retail names were operated by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2024.[17]
  • 18% was the year-on-year growth in global duty free and travel retail sales from 2022 to 2023.[36]
  • 30% of Lagardère Travel Retail revenue came from France in 2024?[17]
  • €69 billion was the estimated global duty free and travel retail sales value in 2023, up from €58 billion in 2022.[36]
  • 84% of 2019 global duty free and travel retail sales had been recovered by 2023 after pandemic disruption.[36]

After-sales in the duty free industry

  • 99.72% of China Tourism Group Duty Free complaints received in 2024 had been handled by year-end.[9]
  • 111,950 information requests were handled by Avolta’s retail customer-service team in 2024.[8]
  • 76,546 customer complaints were received by China Tourism Group Duty Free in 2024.[9]
  • 82,882 service requests were handled by Avolta’s retail customer-service team in 2024.[8]
  • 262,160 retail customer-service queries were answered by Avolta in 2024.[8]

Value proposition in the duty free industry

  • 14% of travellers cited buying elsewhere as a duty free purchase barrier in 2025.[10]
  • 21% of duty free shoppers cited convenience as a purchase driver in 2025.[10]
  • 27% of duty free shoppers cited good value for money as a purchase driver in 2025.[10]
  • 18% of duty free shoppers cited self-treating as a purchase driver in 2025.[10]
  • 2.28 billion international departures were recorded globally in 2025, expanding the addressable duty free shopper base by 7%.[10]

13 Statistics

Sustainability & Ethics

Sustainability targets are tied to measurable operational changes. Lagardère Travel Retail’s Scope 1 and 2 emissions reduction target is 42%.

Sustainability in the duty free industry

  • 68% of eggs purchased globally by Lagardère Travel Retail were cage-free at the end of 2024.[24]
  • 4,800-plus stores and restaurants formed Lagardère Travel Retail’s network in 2025.[17]
  • 24,543 employees worked for Lagardère Travel Retail in 2025 across its global travel-retail operations.[17]
  • 50 countries hosted Lagardère Travel Retail operations in 2025, covering Duty Free & Fashion, Travel Essentials and Dining.[17]
  • 100% of countries were targeted to have switched to responsible consumables by 2025.[24]

ESG in the duty free industry

  • 2025 was the reporting year in which Duty Free International aligned its sustainability disclosures with ISSB IFRS S1 and S2.[37]
  • 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals were included in Duty Free International’s sustainability framework for its Malaysia-based duty-free group.[37]
  • 42% is Lagardère Travel Retail’s target reduction for Scope 1 and 2 emissions under its climate strategy.[24]
  • 2025 was the year Lagardère Travel Retail’s carbon-reduction targets were validated by the Science Based Targets initiative.[24]
  • 12 tangible commitments underpin Lagardère Travel Retail’s PEPS strategy covering Planet, Ethics, People and Social priorities.[24]

Ethics in the duty free industry

  • 17 Sustainable Development Goals were used by Duty Free International as a framework for positive social, environmental and economic outcomes.[37]
  • 100% of eggs purchased for Lagardère Travel Retail restaurants were targeted to become cage-free under its animal-welfare commitment.[24]
  • 100% of employees in relevant Duty Free International operations were covered by the group’s stated labour and human-rights expectations in 2025.[37]
  • 4 pillars—Planet, Ethics, People and Social—structure Lagardère Travel Retail’s PEPS responsibility strategy.[24]
  • 3 ethical product-screening routes are recognized by Lagardère Travel Retail’s We Care We Do programme: B Corp, EcoVadis or its own ESG questionnaire.[24]

CSR in the duty free industry

  • 25% is the absolute Scope 3 emissions reduction committed by Lagardère Travel Retail for 2030 against a 2024 base year.[24]
  • 40% was the reduction in furniture and point-of-sale-material carbon footprint achieved by Lagardère’s first Aelia Duty Free eco-store in Geneva.[17]
  • 125,000-plus meals were saved from waste by Lagardère Travel Retail’s food-rescue solutions by 2025.[17]
  • 100% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s electricity consumption was sourced from renewable electricity across operations by the end of 2023.[24]
  • 8 countries had adopted Lagardère Travel Retail’s anti-food-waste Marketplace solution by 2025.[17]

Circular economy in the duty free industry

  • 8,605 metric tons of cardboard and plastic logistics waste were identified as Lagardère Travel Retail’s main waste stream in 2025.[17]
  • 3 metric tons of waste electrical and electronic equipment were recycled by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2025.[17]
  • 713 metric tons of food waste were composted by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2025.[17]
  • 6,258 metric tons of consumables and checkout-bag waste were recorded by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2025.[17]
  • 5,972 metric tons was Lagardère Travel Retail’s total waste not directed to disposal in 2025.[17]

Carbon footprint in the duty free industry

  • 100% electric company cars in relevant geographic areas is Lagardère Travel Retail’s target for 2030.[17]
  • 42% is Lagardère Travel Retail’s targeted reduction in Scope 1 and 2 emissions under its validated climate strategy.[24]
  • Almost 70% of Lagardère Travel Retail’s location-based carbon reporting was linked to purchased goods and services in 2024.[17]
  • More than three-quarters of Lagardère Travel Retail’s direct location-based emissions came from electricity consumption in 2024.[17]
  • 40% was the carbon-footprint reduction for furniture and point-of-sale materials at Lagardère’s Geneva Aelia Duty Free eco-store.[17]

15 Statistics

Globalization & Expansion

Network scale is tracked through geographic coverage and store portfolios. Avolta covered 70 countries through its operating network in 2025.

Globalization in the duty free industry

  • 70 countries were covered by Avolta’s operating network in 2025.[8]
  • 45% of global duty-free and travel-retail sales came from Asia-Pacific in 2023.[36]
  • 32 countries were served by WH Smith’s global travel business in 2024.[45]
  • €69 billion was the estimated global duty-free and travel-retail sales value in 2023, representing 84% of the 2019 level worldwide.[36]
  • 42 countries were covered by Lagardère Travel Retail’s operations in 2023.[17]

Cultural adaptation in the duty free industry

  • 40 additional Avolta hybrid concepts were in development or tender stages globally in 2024.[8]
  • 31 global suppliers provided 1,976 products in Avolta’s sustainable product-selection initiative in 2025.[8]
  • 53 hybrid retail, food-and-beverage and other concepts were operating globally for Avolta in 2024.[8]
  • 6 continents were represented in Avolta’s customer loyalty and retail network in 2025.[8]
  • 1,557 food outlets operated under more than 300 names in 31 countries for Lagardère Travel Retail in 2024.[17]

Supplier management in the duty free industry

  • 1,000-plus brands were available across Avolta’s 5,100-plus outlets in 70 countries in 2025.[8]
  • 31 global suppliers participated in Avolta’s sustainable product-selection initiative in 2025.[8]
  • 2.5 million games were distributed annually to more than 1,000 physical stores by Lagardère’s acquired 999 Games business.[17]
  • 14 shops were operated by Gebr. Heinemann on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas in 2024.[46]
  • 1,000-plus brands were included in Avolta’s global retail and food-and-beverage portfolio in 2025.[8]

Stakeholder management in the duty free industry

  • 74% of duty-free shoppers said sales-staff advice positively influenced their purchase decision in 2025.[1]
  • 24,914 employees worked for Lagardère Travel Retail in 2024.[17]
  • 32% of duty-free passengers were exposed to pre-store communications touchpoints in 2025.[1]
  • 78,000-plus people were employed by Avolta globally in 2025.[8]
  • 14,000 employees worked in WH Smith’s global travel business in 2024.[45]

Distribution channels in the duty free industry

  • 10% of Avolta’s 2024 revenue came from motorways.[8]
  • 81% of Avolta’s 2024 revenue came from the airport channel.[8]
  • 700 railway and urban-transport stations were served by Lagardère Travel Retail in 2024.[17]
  • 5% of Avolta’s 2024 revenue came from railway locations.[8]
  • 2.5% of Dubai Duty Free’s 2024 sales came from online sales.[16]

Key questions about the Duty Free Industry

What is the current global duty-free and travel retail market size?
Global duty-free and travel retail sales reached $75.95 billion in 2025. The 2024 comparable was approximately $74.17 billion, per Generation Research data reported by DFNI.
How fast is the market growing into the next decade?
GlobalData forecasts global duty-free to reach $79.4 billion by 2030. That implies 5.0% CAGR from 2025 to 2030; other forecasts differ because definitions vary between duty-free retail and broader travel retail.
Which companies lead the duty free industry?
Avolta leads Gitnux's 2026 duty free ranking with an Overall score of 9.9, with Club Avolta at one loyalty transaction every 2 seconds after year one. Lagardère is the highest-ranked travel retail operator at 9.5, with €5.812 billion 2024 Lagardère Travel Retail revenue across nearly 300 airports.
What technology shifts are visible in shopper behavior?
In 2026, 68% of international travellers said AI or social media influenced what they considered buying. Among those users, 64% walked past airport stores without purchasing.
How is the market structured by sales channel and categories?
Airport shops represented 55.0% of worldwide duty-free and travel retail sales in 2024, versus 40.2% for other shops. Fragrances and cosmetics led at 34.9%, followed by wines and spirits at 15.7% and fashion and accessories at 15.6%.
What regulatory development signals tightening around duty-free treatment?
In the United States, a September 2, 2025 Federal Register notice implemented the suspension of duty-free de minimis treatment for shipments from all countries. The measure concerns low-value imported parcels rather than airport duty-free retail.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Diana Reeves. (2026, February 13). Duty Free Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/duty-free-industry-statistics
MLA
Diana Reeves. "Duty Free Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/duty-free-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Diana Reeves. 2026. "Duty Free Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/duty-free-industry-statistics.

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