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Are duty free shops ever cheaper?

Are duty free shops ever cheaper?

Duty free shops have traditionally offered big savings to their customers, as they were able to skip tax on their purchases. But is that still the case?

Cheapflights.co.uk has compared the prices from nine of the UK’s largest airports with 12 of the biggest national retailers to see if duty free really offers a good deal for holidaymakers.

Is it possible to save some money by shopping at a duty free, or do they hold all the cards?



The contenders

Cheapflights assessed the prices of a range of items traditionally on offer at duty free shops (such as cigarettes, sunglasses, spirits and electronics) at nine airports. They are: London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast and Cardiff.

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It also looked at the prices on offer at the following high street or online stores: Boots, Asda, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Argos, John Lewis, Debenhams, Curry's, Amazon, Morrisons, Selfridges, House of Fraser.

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When to avoid duty free

According to Cheapflights, fragrances are one to avoid. CK One by Calvin Klein (200ml) was found on sale for £36.30 in a duty free store, but you can save more than a tenner by buying the same bottle in Boots for £24.99.

Spirits aren’t a great pick either. A one litre bottle of Gordon’s Gin sells in World Duty Free for £17.99, but Cheapflights found it for £17 at Morrisons. OK, it's a small saving, but it also means you don't have to lug around a big bottle of booze with you on your holiday.

Finally, you're better off buying your sweets away from the airport. World Duty Free sells a 400g Toblerone bar for £6, but you can pick up the same chocolate for less than £4 at Waitrose, Debenhams and Morrisons, among others.



Electronics: a slightly better deal

Cheapflights looked at three of the most popular electronics products for its comparison: the Go Pro Camera, Beats by Dre headphones and iPads.

The Go Pro Hero 4 camera is sold in duty frees for £274. The price tag in Curry's is £279, so it’s not an incredible saving.

Dr Dre’s Beats headphones, on the other hand, sell for £149.92 in duty free while high street stores offer it for £169 - a decent £20 saving. Many users have pointed out that these particular headphones ‘leak’ a lot of sound though, so picking up a pair of these may not make you the most popular person on your flight.

The iPad Mini is available at Dixons Travel duty free (at Gatwick) for £270.00, beating Amazon’s offer of £285.99.

Having compared these prices, it's fair to say that many people might hesitate to buy an expensive piece of electronic equipment right before they pop off on holiday. It’s a little more difficult to do research, read reviews or shop around. While you can save a little, you may find you can get a better deal when you get back from your trip.

When duty free is best

Sunglasses are a good bet as far as airport purchases go. For those off to warmer climes, you can get hold of a pair of Ray-Ban Wayfarers for £104.15 in duty free stores. These retail in other shops for as much as £170, with Debenhams and John Lewis having the lowest high street price at £125.

You can save a lot more, of course, by going for a comfortable pair of sunglasses not produced by such a luxury brand.

Whatever you pick, make sure they have the CE mark, which proves that they conform to the European Community Standard, and British Standard BSEN1836:2005, which means that they will keep your eyes safe from UV rays. Remember that darker lenses don’t necessarily mean better protection from the sun.

Smokers can save a huge amount by buying duty free cigarettes, with a 200-carton of Marlboro Lights being sold at airports for £42. Because of all the taxes levied on tobacco, large retailers sell boxes of 100 for about £44, so each cigarette is more or less half price.

There are limits on what you can buy though: allowances for tobacco and alcohol products are available to view on the Gov.uk website. If you don’t toe the line, you may have to pay import VAT and Excise Duty on anything over your allowance, or possibly face a fine or prosecution if Customs believes you're trying to bring in goods to sell.



Shop abroad instead

It’s possible that you can find a much better deal on some of these items when you arrive at your destination, although that depends what country you’re visiting. Many branded products can be bought abroad for much less than they sell for in the UK.

If you’re buying heavy items like alcohol though, remember that your chosen airline might charge you a penalty fee if your suitcase is overweight. Be careful not to go overboard even if you find a good deal, as you might end up paying for it later.

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