Heathrow Duty-Free

In many international terminals, all of the air-side 'duty free' shops
are operated by the same concessionaire. In other words, while there may
be several shopping points distributed throughout the concourse, the
selection and pricing are all the same because the seller is the same.
In other places, this is not the case. I remember going out from JFK a
few years ago and remarking how the first place one encountered when
entering air-side was _****e_ compared to the places found once one had
walked a bit further down the concourse. The high-price, poor-selection
place obviously got by on their location and the ignorance of many
travellers.

Well. I am soon going to be passing through Heathrow for the first time
in many years. Leaving the EU, from Terminal 3. Is the situation there
in the category of 'price competition' or 'price monopoly'. I am
particularly interested in good whisky. I had been booked to leave the
EU from Copenhagen Kastrup, with its marvellous Whisky World
boutique--but the schedule was changed out from under me.

Comments, anyone?

cheers,

Henry

I haven't managed to find any selection of whisky at any duty free in
the UK. Their selection of malts appears to be Glenlivit & Glenfiddich
with maybe another common one or two. And the prices are higher than in
Houston at the local shop. FFM

Henry wrote:

In many international terminals, all of the air-side 'duty free' shops
are operated by the same concessionaire. In other words, while there may
be several shopping points distributed throughout the concourse, the
selection and pricing are all the same because the seller is the same.
In other places, this is not the case. I remember going out from JFK a
few years ago and remarking how the first place one encountered when
entering air-side was _****e_ compared to the places found once one had
walked a bit further down the concourse. The high-price, poor-selection
place obviously got by on their location and the ignorance of many
travellers.

Well. I am soon going to be passing through Heathrow for the first time
in many years. Leaving the EU, from Terminal 3. Is the situation there
in the category of 'price competition' or 'price monopoly'. I am
particularly interested in good whisky. I had been booked to leave the
EU from Copenhagen Kastrup, with its marvellous Whisky World
boutique--but the schedule was changed out from under me.

Comments, anyone?

cheers,

Henry

Well. I am soon going to be passing through Heathrow for the first
time in many years. Leaving the EU, from Terminal 3. Is the situation there
in the category of 'price competition' or 'price monopoly'. I am
particularly interested in good whisky. I had been booked to leave the EU
from Copenhagen Kastrup, with its marvellous Whisky World boutique--but the
schedule was changed out from under me.

The thing to look for is World of Whisky. There are other liquor sales
points--and the prices will be the same as at World of Whisky for the more
popular offerings there--and most of these prices are not that great. But
at World of Whisky you get an incredibly broad selection, and lots of
specialty bottlings--not to mention some free sampling! When I was last
there in April the real steal was a Signatory bottling of 13-year old
Linkwood from a fabulous sherry keg for 19.99 UKL. This was tucked away on
a bottom shelf, and is just a rich and wonderful Speyside. Other than
that, I bought my other whiskys in on that trip in town at Milroy's and the
Vintage House in Soho.

Henry wrote:

Well. I am soon going to be passing through Heathrow for the first time
in many years. Leaving the EU, from Terminal 3. Is the situation there
in the category of 'price competition' or 'price monopoly'.

Monopoly- in this case you can lay the blame at BAA, but non-BAA
airports in the UK aren't much different. It's a captive market- UK duty
free is often a rip-off. Disgraceful, really. Buying duty free at UK
airports is very rarely a bargain for anyone who isn't _from_ the UK.
Cheap if you live in, well, Norway, but that's about it. I could get the
exact same spirits, for example, at the local liquor store when I lived
in Boston, for usually less than the 'bargain' duty-free price at BAA.
It's just a sad little money-making scheme on behalf of the companies
that run the airports.

David

--
David Horne- www.davidhorne.co.uk
davidhorne (at) davidhorne (dot) co (dot) uk