Duty Free Shops Dinosaurs?

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Buying something from gift shops used to be part of tourism, local and international. You still want to pick up something from Niagara Falls, even though you live in Canada. People who live in Birmingham U.K. buy some gifts to boast they were in Edinburgh Scotland.

Before we blame Covid-19, let’s dust the cobwebs a bit. What is making gift shops haemorrhage? The internet is the main culprit because we can buy gifts from other lands online. It’s cheaper.  We don’t have to board a plane and book hotels.

Another reason for gift shops’ diminishing sales might be quality. Yes, we buy T-shirts for the I LOVE VANCOUVER message, but quality also matters. Some of them are paper thin, which makes them candidates for size reduction after the first visit to the washing machine.

Trying to function like high street shops might also be the problem. Some gift shops carry items we can buy cheaper at the mall. Redundant gifts like aprons, ash trays and letter openers are equally bad news for the cash register. It will not ring, because we cook less, don’t smoke and don’t write or get letters in the mail.

The future? Gift shops must audit themselves to see how they can improve future sales or shut down in the future.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang. 

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