ARI North America has launched a new category concept, Salon du Vin, at Montréal Duty Free and Quebec City Duty Free. This newly developed wine lounge concept was inspired by the Speakeasy bars, lounges and wine bars that can be found across Montréal and Quebec City, offering passengers an authentic experience as they shop an expertly […]
Canada
Peace Arch Duty Free begins landmark investment of $6.5 million in renovations
Peace Arch Duty Free, North America’s largest land-border duty free retailer located on the Canadian border in Surrey, British Columbia, has embarked on a $6.5 million investment redevelopment project The project, which Peace Arch founder and President Peter Raju says will be the world’s most luxurious land-border duty free shop, is being designed to significantly enhance the […]
OAG: Canada continues to reduce airline capacity to the U.S.
The traditional “snowbird” winter season of travel between the United States and Canada continues to be impacted negatively by Canadian sentiment to actions by the current U.S. administration, with airlines adjusting capacity downwards, reports OAG. Canadian airlines have reduced USA-bound capacity by nearly 10% for Q1 2026, representing 450,000 seats. Capacity shifts away from traditional […]
ARI celebrates the holiday giving-spirit with “Joy Awaits” campaign
ARI has launched a special seasonal holiday campaign celebrating the joy of giving with the joy of airport shopping. Called “Joy Awaits”, the festive campaign promises a vibrant, joyful and memorable retail experience for passengers traveling through any one of ARI’s global locations. ARI says that seasonal campaigns form an important part of its consumer marketing strategy, tapping […]
Canadians stay home and drive tourism to record heights this summer; cross-border traffic continues to suffer
Canada’s tourism sector delivered a record-breaking performance in summer 2025. Generating nearly $60 billion in revenue between May and August, Canada saw a 6% year-over-year increase. Unfortunately, this record growth was not reflected in business at Canada’s land border stores, which are suffering from declines in cross border travel between the U.S. and Canada. The […]
Canada’s land border stores face real danger of closing from drop in traffic
The tariffs are having a devastating impact on Canadian duty free, as fewer Canadians are traveling south in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s trade war with Canada. One Canadian land border store has already shut its doors because of the lower traffic and sales, and many others fear they will follow, FDFA Executive Director […]
ARINA grows Canadian business even as U.S./Canada tensions disrupt cross border travel
One on One with Glen Morgan, General Manager, ARI North America Even with U.S./Canada political tensions negatively impacting travel from its most important passenger, Glen Morgan, General Manager, ARI North America (ARINA), tells TMI that it has been a busy and exciting time for growth across its Canadian business, as it opens new stores, refurbishes […]
Dior brings ‘Dioriviera’ summer experience to Montréal–Trudeau Airport
Dior and ARI North America are inviting travelers at Montréal–Trudeau Airport International Terminal to escape into the world of Dioriviera, a “bohemian-chic” summer experience under the Dior sun. The installation features desert-inspired decor, including a towering palm tree and life-size cactus, creating a memorable and Instagrammable backdrop throughout the month of August. The Dior podium […]
Peace Arch Duty Free sets record with $170,000 cognac sale
In what it calls “a remarkable display of resilience” amid ongoing challenges with traffic and sales, Peace Arch Duty Free has achieved a record-breaking milestone, selling a 6L bottle of Louis XIII Cognac for CAD $170,000—the highest-value single-item sale in the shop’s history. This landmark purchase reflects a growing shift in customer demographics, with increasing […]
Avolta unveils Toronto Duty Free at YYZ
Avolta’s Dufry brand has unveiled its newest duty free store at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), Toronto Duty Free. The 170 sqm shop in Terminal 3 offers a collection of Canadian-made products alongside a curated selection of wine, spirits, and confectionery. The store is the first of several new shops planned as part of the […]
Luxury ABSOLU fragrances from Canada launch exclusively for GTR
ABSOLU, a luxury Canadian fragrance brand that embodies the country’s natural beauty and sophistication, has launched exclusively into global travel retail. Produced by the House of Cosper Inc, in Canada, the initial range features five unisex fragrances, AURA, BLISS, MYSTIQUE, OPULENCE and TIMELESS, each presented in 100ml bottles at a recommended retail price of US$120. […]
Canada’s Peace Bridge Duty Free goes into receivership amidst plunging border traffic
Peace Bridge Duty Free, one of Canada’s largest duty free land border retailers, has entered receivership, as it struggles to pay off millions of dollars in debt amidst plummeting traveler numbers, according to Canadian media reports. In an order issued on April 17, 2025, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice ordered a takeover of Peace Bridge […]
YVR and Avolta unveil new Vancouver Duty Free shops
Vancouver International Airport (YVR) has unveiled Vancouver Duty Free, a reimagined shopping experience for international travelers. The newly renovated Vancouver Duty Free at YVR, which has expanded by 7,000 square feet to 30,000 square feet, spans two walkthrough locations post-security in International departures. The space features a mix of global luxury brands and local British […]
Struggling Canadian border stores hard hit by tariff uncertainty
Canadian duty free, already suffering through its toughest period in years post-pandemic, could be devastated by the proposed tariffs coming from the U.S., the source of its most important customer. Travel Markets Insider speaks with three Canadian land border operators at the IAADFS Summit of the Americas in Miami about what is happening on the […]
FDFA report: Canadian land border duty free stores unable to compete with U.S. due to unnecessary red tape
Representatives from the Frontier Duty Free Association (FDFA) released a report today, Feb. 13, showing that Canadian land border duty free stores are unable to compete with U.S. retailers due to unnecessary red tape, unfair regulations, and misapplied policies. The association is calling for urgent government action to level the playing field, remove the regulatory […]
