We learn from our competition, and they should, too

WE LOOK AT our competitors all the time, and we have on many occasions learned from them; and we hope that they learn from us as well,” says Colm McLoughlin. When it comes to striving for retail excellence, McLoughlin shared the steps that Dubai Duty Free takes.

“We listen to our customers and their comments, and we do a number of surveys,” he said. “We also monitor all that is being said about us online, especially on social media sites such as Facebook.”

He added: “We see what is going on at other airports. We scout their brochures, their catalogues, their price lists, and then we compare ourselves with them. It’s not very different from going to the malls in Dubai, and seeing what retailers are introducing to bring in more customers.”

One aspect where the company refuses to compromise is technology. “We are very sophisticated when it comes to technology, simply because without it, we can’t function,” McLoughlin notes. “If our store’s distribution centre wasn’t as automated as it is, then we couldn’t do our business,” he said.

McLoughlin also spoke about the success of the recent click and collect system, where flyers can go online and purchase one of 5,000 items before collecting them on arrival. Dubai Duty Free recorded Dh70 million worth of sales on click and collect last year, and McLoughlin hopes to record Dh100 million worth of sales in the coming years.

“We are not yet looking at robots or Artificial Intelligence,” he stated. On the topic of major milestones, McLoughlin says that Dubai Duty Free’s anniversary on December 20, 1983, is always a day to remember.

“Every year, for the last 34 years, we have offered discounts and special offers on our anniversary; and every year we have surpassed the previous year. The first award that we got saying that we were the best duty free in the world, that was a milestone. I have never had a low, every minute of my day has been a high.”