How to shop wisely at S. Korea's first arrival duty free shops
- 5 years ago
Time now for our "Life & Info" segment,...where we focus on information useful for your everyday life.
Today, we are going to talk all about South Korea's first ever duty free shops in the ARRIVALS part of the airport... rather than the usual stores in DEPARTURES.
They are seen as more convenient for passengers who don't want to lug their purchases around for hours. Just buy and go.
From sharing the most popular items... to how to shop wisely,... we have our Kim Da-mi in the studio with us.
Hi Dami I'm aware three of these "arrival" duty free shops newly opened at Incheon International Airport two at Terminal One and one at Terminal Two. Tell us more.
Hi Mark Right, after going through immigration, you have to wait for your luggage at the baggage claim, which can be a pain in the neck.
Often times, that wait for your suitcase of backpack to emerge can be quite long and boring,...so it's the perfect time to shop your way through the jet-lag
Right, I hear these shops are literally right next to the baggage claim.
It's been over one month since the shops opened at the airport. What do passengers think so far?
The convenient location is of course the main selling point of the arrival duty shops.
And it looks like there are certain items people go for when duty-free shopping at both arrival and regular duty free shops.
Liquor like whisky, vodka and gin is by far the most popular item, followed by makeup, perfume and food. A five-hundred fifty-nine dollar golf club is the most expensive item for sale, eight dollar cotton pads the cheapest.
So where's tobacco...like cigarettes? As far as I remember, tobacco has always topped the sales chart... way ahead of cosmetics and fashion.
You're right. The reason is you are not allowed to buy tobacco products at the arrival duty free shops,...as there are concerns people may buy and resell them for a higher price to other people.
The shops handle around ten items for now...including sunglasses, Korean ginseng, some electronics and chocolate...just no tobacco. And yes, some visitors wish they had more options.
"I came to buy some makeup, but the options are quite limited."
"Speaking as a customer, I wish the purchase limit was higher."
The second customer mentioned a purchase limit.
Right now, I believe you can purchase up to three-thousand dollars worth of goods at departure duty-free stores.
But at arrival duty-free shops, I hear that figure is much smaller just six-hundred dollars.
Right. So in total, you can purchase up to 36-hundred dollars worth of goods at duty free shops. But the tax exemption per person is unchanged...at six-hundred dollars.
So let's say, I'm on vacation in the Maldives and there I spend a thousand dollars for my summer wardrobe. I'd have to declare that spending when I arrive back in Korea.
However, as soon as I'm back on Korean soil, I spend another 6-hundred dollars on makeup and perfume at the new arrival shop.
I get my tax exemption on the makeup I bought at the arrival
Today, we are going to talk all about South Korea's first ever duty free shops in the ARRIVALS part of the airport... rather than the usual stores in DEPARTURES.
They are seen as more convenient for passengers who don't want to lug their purchases around for hours. Just buy and go.
From sharing the most popular items... to how to shop wisely,... we have our Kim Da-mi in the studio with us.
Hi Dami I'm aware three of these "arrival" duty free shops newly opened at Incheon International Airport two at Terminal One and one at Terminal Two. Tell us more.
Hi Mark Right, after going through immigration, you have to wait for your luggage at the baggage claim, which can be a pain in the neck.
Often times, that wait for your suitcase of backpack to emerge can be quite long and boring,...so it's the perfect time to shop your way through the jet-lag
Right, I hear these shops are literally right next to the baggage claim.
It's been over one month since the shops opened at the airport. What do passengers think so far?
The convenient location is of course the main selling point of the arrival duty shops.
And it looks like there are certain items people go for when duty-free shopping at both arrival and regular duty free shops.
Liquor like whisky, vodka and gin is by far the most popular item, followed by makeup, perfume and food. A five-hundred fifty-nine dollar golf club is the most expensive item for sale, eight dollar cotton pads the cheapest.
So where's tobacco...like cigarettes? As far as I remember, tobacco has always topped the sales chart... way ahead of cosmetics and fashion.
You're right. The reason is you are not allowed to buy tobacco products at the arrival duty free shops,...as there are concerns people may buy and resell them for a higher price to other people.
The shops handle around ten items for now...including sunglasses, Korean ginseng, some electronics and chocolate...just no tobacco. And yes, some visitors wish they had more options.
"I came to buy some makeup, but the options are quite limited."
"Speaking as a customer, I wish the purchase limit was higher."
The second customer mentioned a purchase limit.
Right now, I believe you can purchase up to three-thousand dollars worth of goods at departure duty-free stores.
But at arrival duty-free shops, I hear that figure is much smaller just six-hundred dollars.
Right. So in total, you can purchase up to 36-hundred dollars worth of goods at duty free shops. But the tax exemption per person is unchanged...at six-hundred dollars.
So let's say, I'm on vacation in the Maldives and there I spend a thousand dollars for my summer wardrobe. I'd have to declare that spending when I arrive back in Korea.
However, as soon as I'm back on Korean soil, I spend another 6-hundred dollars on makeup and perfume at the new arrival shop.
I get my tax exemption on the makeup I bought at the arrival