Duty Free Competes for 1 Hour 10 Minutes of Airport Dwell Time

According to the new findings from our 2026 edition of the Global Shopper Database, once a traveller passes through airport security, they typically have around 1 hour and 10 minutes in departures. This sounds like quite a bit of time, but this time includes getting their bearings in an unfamiliar place, locating their gate, organising the kids, but this is also a window that is filled with choice.

Some of the key activities we see travellers engaging in during their departures dwell-time include grabbing a coffee, having a sit down meal, browsing their phone, visiting the lounge, catching up on emails, and relaxing in the general seating areas. And somewhere in that mix also sits Duty Free.

Therefore, Duty Free shopping continues to not just competing with other retailers or channels, it’s competing with everything a traveller could do with their time when they are in an airport location.

Consequently, when we look at an overall level at how we can grow the industry, increase sales and maximise that all important spend per traveller, maybe the conversation is not necessarily only about trade up, impulsive purchasing, or brand switching. It is more about earning that place in that 70-minute window among a greater proportion of travellers.  Afterall, conversion does not exist without footfall existing in the first place.

That means being visible, easy to navigate, and immediately engaging. Clear messaging, strong value cues, and eye-catching displays are critical in capturing attention quickly. Basically, driving the perception that not engaging with the Duty Free store is a massive missed opportunity for any traveller in any location.

We have now completed the fieldwork for the 2026 edition of the Global Shopper Database and have a huge amount of data to share on the way in which shoppers behave in the Duty Free store at our finger tips. Get in touch to find out more and understand how our consumer insights can support your decision making.