Do You Really Save Shopping In Duty Free Shops?

Above, a duty free shop at Narita International Airport. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

In recent years, Japan has expanded the number of duty free stores in cities and at airport terminals.

But are travelers really saving money shopping in duty free shops?

Travel + Leisure has an article that takes a look at whether or not people are actually saving money shopping in duty free shops.

The article reads in part:

If you’re the type of traveler who loves to browse duty free at the airport, you’ve probably wondered if buying duty free is actually saving you money. Is it worth it to pick up a few extra duty-free souvenirs or would you have been better off shopping before you set foot in the airport? And what about purchasing alcohol, are the deals really as good as you’ve heard they are? 

Let’s explore what the concept of duty free actually is, and then figure out whether it’s really helping us as consumers.

The only times I shopped in duty free stores at Narita International Airport were when I bought a couple of cartons of Marlboro Lights (during the days when I used to smoke cigarettes) and when I bought some boxes of Tokyo Banana cakes. Cigarettes in Japan are cheaper (or at least they were, the last time I checked) than in the U.S.

To read more, go here.