Dubai Duty Free is heading into the ultimate quarter of 2025 on a excessive observe after posting document September gross sales of AED671.79m ($184m), the strongest September in its historical past.
The milestone surpassed the earlier September document of AED600m ($165m) set in 2024, representing a rise of AED71.29m ($19.53m) and progress of 11.87 per cent year-on-year.
September now ranks among the many retailer’s high 10 all-time months, becoming a member of January, February, April, Might, July and August of this yr as record-setters.
Dubai Obligation Free gross sales progress
Passenger visitors grew by round 4.2 per cent through the month, which means gross sales outperformed passenger progress by roughly 7.6 per cent. Last figures for September passenger numbers are anticipated later this month from Dubai Airports.
Ramesh Cidambi, Managing Director of Dubai Duty Free, mentioned: “September’s document gross sales is a big second for Dubai Obligation Free and a testomony to the unbelievable efforts of our group and the loyalty of our clients. Attaining AED672m in a single month and outperforming passenger progress highlights the power of our retail providing, and we stay dedicated to constantly enhancing the client expertise.”
For the yr so far, gross sales have risen 7.45 per cent to AED6.075bn ($1.664bn), representing a rise of AED421m ($115m) in contrast with the identical interval in 2024.
Key progress classes in September included:
- Confectionery: up 57.7 per cent
- Trend boutiques: up 21.5 per cent
- Tobacco: up 6.9 per cent
- Perfumes: up 5 per cent
- Gold: up 21.9 per cent
- Electronics: up 10 per cent
- Millennium Millionaire: up 20.5 per cent
- Best Shock: up 32.9 per cent
- Watches: up 5.1 per cent
- Liquor: up 2.3 per cent
- Valuable jewelry: up 3.8 per cent
Dubai Chocolate alone contributed AED27m ($7.4m) in gross sales with 350,000 items offered in September. Throughout the Prime 10 classes, gross sales grew by 12.1 per cent together with confectionery, and eight.2 per cent excluding it.
Excessive-end style was the standout class in September. The newly opened Louis Vuitton boutique in Terminal 3, Concourse A, which launched on 4 September, contributed 36 per cent of Trend revenues in that concourse.
The luxurious momentum was bolstered by the opening of a Cartier boutique in Concourse A on 25 September, highlighting demand from worldwide travellers.
Electronics gross sales rose by 10 per cent, boosted by the 19 September launch of the Apple iPhone 17. Regardless of restricted provide, the product generated AED9.7m ($2.7m) in gross sales over simply 12 days.
Gold gross sales elevated 21.9 per cent year-on-year, supported by sturdy shopper demand and rising world costs. The value of gold surged from round $2,700 per ounce in September 2024 to roughly $3,700 per ounce in September 2025.
Dubai Obligation Free’s pre-loved luxurious boutique REKLAIM additionally recorded regular progress, producing AED3.5m ($1m) in gross sales in September.
Notable transactions included the sale of a Patek Philippe look ahead to AED253,386 ($69,420) in Concourse D.
Gross sales had been optimistic throughout all main areas:
- Africa: up 14.85 per cent
- Europe: up 17.85 per cent
- Indian Sub-continent: up 12.75 per cent
- Americas: up 16.1 per cent
- Russian area: up 7 per cent
- Center East: up 4.3 per cent (regardless of a 3.8 per cent decline in Saudi Arabia)
- Far East: up 12.3 per cent (China up 11.3 per cent)
- Australasia: up 12.6 per cent