Are duty free shops really a good deal?

[Rick Lee]

I've been to a ton of them and usually buy whatever I can afford with leftover foreign currency or only things I know I can't get elsewhere regardless of price. I'm starting to shop for goodies for the in-laws in China, whom I'm visiting in a few weeks and am wondering if I should wait until I get to LAX and shop duty free. Of course, by that point that's it. If they don't have it or it's too expensive, I'm SOL. I want a bottle of Talisker, some coffee and good German chocolate. Seems I can get that stuff anywhere pretty affordably. But I don't know if the shops in LAX will A) have what I want and B) be a good deal. No websites for the LAX duty free shops. What do you guys think?

[onlycafe]

talisker, one of my favorites. you have just inspired me. thank you.

[tangerine911S]

Ya alcohol in particular always seems pretty cheap. Got a bottle of really nice jamaican rum coming home from jamaica for super cheap. Remember seeing the large botles of SKYY for $12. If I drank vodka I'd have certainly got one.

[legion]

Funny, Skyy Vodka is made not far from me in Pekin, Illinois. Wonder why it would be cheaper in a duty free shop?

[Don Plumley]

Honestly Duty Free is not a great bargain for US residents. Most countries have much higher VAT, Luxury and/or alcohol taxes than we do. Maybe perfumes are a bit cheaper, but seems to me that most warehouse (Costco, Bottle Barn) prices on liquor is pretty similar, certainly close enough not to deal with schlepping bottles around. And remember, you can't carry duty free on to a domestic flight - so unless your international flight is your last leg, you'll be checking the booze into your luggage.

[Tobra]

I got some tequila, scotch and irish whiskey, all top shelf stuff pretty cheap in Nuevo Laredo, came back after they closed the place where you paid your tax on your booze, which was only like a dollar ten a liter. Even with the tax it was cheaper than the duty free store in Laredo

[Rick Lee]

I hadn't thought about checking out Costco. The grocery store by my house gets $52 for a 1.75 litre bottle of Maker's Mark. Costco gets $35 for the same. I'll see if they have single malts. Looks like Dunhills are way cheaper in China than anywhere here though. My wife'd dad, like most Chinese men, is a hard smoker.

[Tobra]

can't miss with a bunch good cigars and a bottle of scotch, who wouldn't want that for Christmas?

[Rick Lee]

Yeah, but you buy Cubans in China all day long. They really do have most of the stuff we have and for the same or less money. Shopping here for folks who live there is tough. One friend of mine there is a serious bookworm, so that's something we have a better selection of, especially politically sensitve stuff.

[Oracle]

Once I bought a perfume for my wife and the next day I saw the exact same but cheaper locally..

[JavaBrewer]

Originally Posted by Don Plumley

Honestly Duty Free is not a great bargain for US residents. Most countries have much higher VAT, Luxury and/or alcohol taxes than we do.

+1. For gifts home go to Costco. Premium liquor is cheaper there but they don't sell fags. Cheers

[Heel n Toe]

I thought this was gonna be another Seinfeld quotes thread.

"I love to go... to the duty-free shop... I love to go... to the duty-free shop... I love to go... to the duty-free shop... I love to go... to the duty-free shop..."