Duty free more expensive than buying online, says research

Duty free goods are sold free of national tax for passengers travelling to or from destinations outside the European Union, and many believe they are picking up a bargain.

But it could be that it is no cheaper than buying the items outside the airport – in fact, they could even be more expensive.

One of the most frequently-purchased duty-free goods, perfume, is 41% cheaper online for men and 28% cheaper bought via the internet for women, Idealo says.

Alcohol, another duty-free staple, averages 9% more expensive bought airside in the case of sparkling wines such as champagne and cava and can be as much as 16% more than when bought online.

Spirits and liqueurs are also often cheaper when purchased via the internet – the latter by 10% and the former, at least in the case of whisky, by 16%.

The only alcoholic drinks found to be cheaper in the duty free than online are popular brands of vodka, rum and gin – by around 5%, but largely because airside purchases mean shoppers save on delivery expenses.

Photograph by airport governing body AENA