Qatar Duty Free Delivers Record-Breaking Performance in 2024

• Sales Turnover Increases by 18% vs 2023

Doha, Qatar?– Qatar Duty Free (QDF) is proud to report an exceptional year in 2024, marked by record-breaking sales, groundbreaking innovations, and global recognition. Sales turnover soared by 18% compared to 2023, outpacing the 15% passenger growth at Hamad International Airport (DOH). This achievement highlights the symbiotic relationship between QDF and DOH in driving growth and excellence in travel retail and aviation.

Hamad International Airport, a key partner in QDF’s success, served an impressive 52.7 million passengers in 2024, a 15% increase over the previous year. These numbers solidify Doha’s position as a premier global travel hub and underline the strategic importance of the collaboration between QDF, DOH, and Qatar Airways.

Transformative Retail and F&B Highlights:?QDF continued to innovate in 2024, introducing eighteen [18] retail concepts and immersive experiences that redefined airport retail. Key achievements included:

·???????? Dior Luxury Beauty Retreat: The first-of-its-kind in any airport globally, this concept blends luxury beauty and wellbeing, including Dior’s first dedicated men’s grooming space, the Dior Luxury Barber Experience.

·???????? Eyewear Innovation: The opening of a multi-brand store by Thelios and the region’s first Digital Retail Concept store in collaboration with Kering Eyewear.

·???????? Integrated Campaigns: Airport-wide activations such as ‘Live The F1 Life’ for the Formula 1 Qatar Airways Qatar Grand Prix 2024, Chanel’s Winter Tale—its largest airport activation to date—and YSL Beauty’s Summer Mirage campaign.

In the food and beverage sector, QDF broadened its offer in line with its commitment to delivering ‘Something for Everyone’, with six new and upgraded concepts, including the locally inspired specialty coffee concept,?Le Petit Camion. Hamad International Airport also achieved?FSSC 22000 certification, becoming the first airport globally to meet this prestigious food safety standard.

Global Recognition:?QDF’s exceptional performance earned it prestigious accolades in 2024, including:

·???????? Retailer of the Year?(Frontier Awards)

·???????? Airport Food and Beverage Offer of the Year?(FAB Awards)

·???????? World’s Best Airport for Shopping?(SKYTRAX)

QDF became the first retailer to simultaneously hold all three titles, underscoring its leadership in the travel retail industry.

Strategic Partnerships Driving Success:?QDF’s achievements are rooted in its close collaboration with Qatar Airways and Hamad International Airport. As the flagship carrier of Qatar, Qatar Airways provides QDF with unparalleled access to a vast global customer base, fostering synergies that enhance passenger experiences across all touchpoints. Meanwhile, Hamad International Airport’s state-of-the-art infrastructure and commitment to excellence enable QDF to set new benchmarks in retail and hospitality. This triadic relationship ensures seamless operations, innovative offerings, and a shared vision for elevating the travel journey.

Investing in Leadership and Technology:?To sustain its trajectory of success, QDF strengthened its leadership team and workforce in 2024, ensuring alignment with its vision for innovation and growth. Additionally, QDF finalised the development of an advanced e-commerce and data-sharing platform, set to launch in 2025. These platforms will empower brand partners with comprehensive insights into their performance, driving data-driven decision-making and enhanced collaboration.

A Vision for 2025 and Beyond:?As QDF approaches its 25th anniversary in 2025, it is poised to launch over 25 new retail and F&B concepts, introduce its advanced digital platforms, and host the globally renowned?Trinity Forum?in Doha. These initiatives reflect QDF’s continuous commitment to pushing boundaries in retail excellence and delivering transformative experiences for passengers and partners alike.

Leadership Perspective:?Mr. Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways, commented: “2024 has been an extraordinary year for Qatar Duty Free. These achievements reflect our team’s dedication to redefining travel retail and delivering exceptional experiences. As we approach our 25th anniversary, we are poised to introduce game-changing innovations that will set new standards in the industry. Launching over 25 new retail and F&B concepts, introducing advanced e-commerce and data-sharing platforms to enhance brand partnerships, and hosting the globally renowned Trinity Forum in Doha are just a few of our ambitious plans. Qatar Duty Free remains committed to pushing boundaries in retail excellence and ‘experiencentricity,’ ensuring its place at the forefront of the global travel retail industry.

Speaking about Qatar Duty Free’s achievements in 2024, Mr. Thabet Musleh, Chief Retail and Hospitality Officer at Qatar Airways, said, “2024 has been another extraordinary year for Qatar Duty Free. As a business, we have a shared vision for the heights we want to scale in retail and F&B and the elevated experiences we aspire to deliver. These milestones in 2024 are a testament to the belief that our team and partners have in this vision and the dedication and hard work which has gone into making it a reality. 2025 – our 25th anniversary year – is going to see us push boundaries in ‘Experiencentricity’ even further: some of the innovations we have planned are true game-changers.”