How Vancouver is welcoming the world during FIFA World Cup Special Report by Luke Barras-Hill Vancouver International Airport (YVR) is ready to “welcome the world” for the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place across North America from June 11 – July 19, an event for which it has been preparing for the past four years, […]
Canada
FDFA advocacy efforts focusing on excise taxes and financial relief programs
Members of Canada’s Frontier Duty Free Association met with high-ranking government officials in Ottawa earlier this month to discuss the challenges facing Canada’s duty free stores, and petition for policy changes needed to support the industry’s competitiveness. TMI spoke with FDFA Executive Director Barbara Barrett about the specific policy changes for which the Association is […]
Canadian cross-border traffic with the U.S. inching upwards
Cross-border traffic between the United States and Canada is starting to show some modest improvement. Statistics Canada reported earlier this month that Canadian-resident return trips from the United States in May totaled 1.9 million, up 9.5% from the same month in 2025. This marks the second month of year-over-year increases since December 2024. Local and travel media are responding with headlines that […]
IGL owners win tender to operate at Peace Bridge after receivership ends
Troubled Peace Bridge Duty Free, one of Canada’s largest duty free land border retailers, is under new ownership. Under the name The Duty Free at Peace Bridge, the store is now run by a new company formed by the owners of Importations Guay Ltée, which operates three other duty free stores in Quebec. Peace Bridge […]
Paradies Lagardère celebrates Canadian sense of place with two new retail concepts at Toronto Pearson International airport
North American airport retailer Paradies Lagardère has announced the openings of Muskoka Supply Co. and Greetings from Toronto at Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ), marking the first milestone in a broader program to elevate the airport’s retail. A division of Lagardère Travel Retail, Paradies Lagardère is expanding its presence at YYZ as part of […]
ARI North America introduces new Salon Du Vin retail concept across key Canadian locations
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 […]
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 […]
