The awards for the world’s best airport shopping have just been announced and the results will please UK travellers for the best airport shopping in the world is
Heathrow Airport for the second year running. It’s perhaps not surprising for the airport has 86 big names, many with several locations throughout the airport terminals giving over 150 outlets in total. You’ll find absolutely anything you want there; from technology stores like Dixons, perfumes from Dolce and Gabbana as well as from the huge World Duty Free Outlet. You can buy food and wine from Marks and Spencer and for those luxury items, there’s Harrods.
You can reserve items online and collect them at the airport or you can buy items at the airport and collect them when you return at the end of your trip. You can check out all the latest offers in shopping online before you travel and earn reward points with Worldpoints.
The runners up...
Dubai is renowned for its shopping and the experience continues at
Dubai International Airport. Set out in exclusive malls, Dubai’s shopping tends towards the luxurious. The city is known for cheap electrical products and several locally owned electronics outlets operate at the airport. There are outlets selling high end fashion and luxury goods too. The airport website surprisingly has little information on the shopping there and you can’t reserve online although you can collect your purchases on your return if you don’t want to take them with you.
Singapore’s
Changi Airport has undergone an expansion of its shopping programme and several new names have been added recently including Hugo Boss and Electronics Hub. Many of the shops focus on cheap electrical items, a major product of Singapore. There are over 130 shops spread between the terminals and almost everything you could want is covered. The shops all have a price guarantee of double the difference back if you find cheaper and they claim to be on average 7% cheaper that in the city. Again you can reserve online or buy at the airport and collect on the way back.
Hong Kong Airport has also opened several new outlets recently including DFS Beauty and Cerruti 1881. Over a hundred outlets now grace their shopping malls and, like Singapore, they offer a price difference guarantee over the city shop prices. There are shops of every kind imaginable including several international brands. You can’t reserve online but you can do a buy now, collect later at the airport.
Incheon Airport in Seoul, South Korea, is a new addition to the top five this year and offers dozens of shops across a range of goods. Being South East Asia, the emphasis is on electronics but everything after security is duty free with great savings on many items. The stores are less individual boutiques and more like department stores at Incheon, making it easier to browse for what you want in the big stores. Incheon also has a grocery store for those last minute items for your flight or your return home and whilst pre-ordering and collect when you return haven’t yet reached the airport; you’ll still be spoilt for choice once you get there.
So, when you are stuck in some godforsaken airport with just a kiosk selling curled sarnies and commemorative keyrings, think of where you could be shopping next time!