Canadian land border sales up, airport falls in June 2016

FDFA logo Canada’s land border duty free sales rose 6% in June 2016, while the country’s airport duty fee sales reversed a long-term trend and fell 5% for the month, according to the latest figures from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA). However, the airport sales are being compared to highly successful June 2015, when sales were up 21% versus June 2014.

Airport sales in June 2016 were $32 million. For the first six months sales are $189 million, up 4.5%.

Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare, the number one category in airport duty free stores with 38.22% of sales, slipped .36% in June. Alcohol, the second most important category with almost 20% of sales, dropped 5.12%. Food, now the third largest category in the Canadian airports with 9.06% of sales, was flat for the month, falling .07%. Tobacco is now the fifth biggest category in Canadian airports with 6.83% of sales in June 2016.

Canadian land border sales were $14 million in June 2016. For January-June period sales are $62.9 million, up 6.69% versus the first six months of 2015.

Alcohol, by far the number one category on the land border, with 42.94% of sales, jumped 13.61% in June 2016. Number two category tobacco (20.89% of sales) was down 4.57%. Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare (13.65%) fell 1.02%.

Regionally, Ontario sales for June 2016 were $8 million, increasing 8.49%. Atlantic/Quebec sales were $3.2 million, up 3.75%. Pacific sales were $2.1 million, rising 4.58%. Prairie sales were $743,000, down 3.8% versus June 2015.