Duty free shopping is making is proving popular with passengers again on routes between Ireland and Wales, Stena Line has claimed.
Early sales figures showed the huge potential duty free shopping has to help the travel sector bounce back after the pandemic. Stena said that spend per passenger in the ferries’ on board shops saw a fourfold increase in August, on routes where tax free shopping is offered.
As a result, passengers can now take advantage of large discounts of up to 50% off on a wide range of items.
The removal of COVID-19 Irish travel restrictions meant that August was the first month where full tourist and non-essential travel with Britain was allowed.
Stena said that it saw high demand for sailings and the demand for duty free was equally robust, resulting in the spend per passenger in the company’s on board shops more than quadrupling, compared to pre-pandemic levels in August. 2019.
Paul Grant, Stena Line’s Irish Sea Trade Director (pictured), commented: “Like most travel businesses, we have experienced a very difficult time over the last 18 months, but now as our passengers start to return in large numbers, we are delighted to be in a position to offer them the added benefit of duty-free shopping on our ships for the first time in over 20 years.
“Our expanded on board shops now offer a great range of items from spirits to jewellery, fragrances to electrics, some at over 50% cheaper than high street prices.”
Duty free shopping is now available on Stena Line’s services on the Holyhead/Dublin and Fishguard/ Rosslare routes, where the company’s large vessels have newly refitted and expanded shops.
There is now also a new duty free border shop open at Holyhead, exclusively for Stena Line passengers. A second store will soon open in Fishguard.
