Halfway through 2015, sales at Canada’s airport duty free stores are up 20% versus last year, while land border sales have increased 2%, according to the latest numbers from the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA).
Airport sales for the January/June period were $180 million, up approximately 20% versus the first six months of 2014. June sales jumped 21% to $33 million for the month.
Each of the airport’s top three categories grew in 2015. Perfume, Cosmetics, Skincare, which accounts for more than a third of airport sales, grew 22.78%. Alcohol, with more than 20% of sales, was up 15.99%. Tobacco (15.8% of airport sales) increased 1.92%.
Canada’s land border sales for the first six months of 2015 were $59 million, up 2.02%. June sales equaled $13.3 million, a .27% increase.
The Ontario region, the largest land border region with sales of $33 million, was up 3.38% for the year and 2.24% for the month of June. Atlantic/Quebec sales were $11.7 million, up around 6% for the year and 3% for June. The Pacific region has sales of $10.2 million for the year, down about 1% for Jan/June and falling approximately 6% in June. Prairie region sales, $4.1 million for the year, were down 8% for the year and 10% in June.
Alcohol, the most popular category on the land border with more than 36% of sales, was up 9.1% for the year at the land border. Tobacco, with almost 30% of sales, is down 5.26%. Perfume, Cosmetics, and Skincare, fell 3.88%.