Retail: World Duty Free Store Seen as New
Concept in Shopping
Hailed as “a new concept in duty-free shopping,” the first duty-free mega-store in the nation opened last month in San Ysidro.
The 15,000-square-foot, two-story World Duty Free store is the latest retail concept from Glen Burnie, Md.-based World Duty Free Americas-UETA Tax & Duty Free. The store is about 100 yards from the San Ysidro border crossing.
Typical duty-free stores are 1,500 to 3,000 square feet , in addition to small kiosks in Los Angeles International Airport and elsewhere, said Jack Cruthirds, regional manager for World Duty Free.
That makes the San Ysidro location the largest stand-alone duty-free store in the nation, he said.
“This is by far our biggest store,” Cruthirds said. “It’s a project that we’ve been working on for many years, trying to get this store built at this location.”
The increased size is part of what makes the store different. Also, just like a European market, the duty-free store is divided into a number of individual boutiques , “Men’s Fragrance Bar,” “World of Beer,” “Fine Watches” to novelty and plush toys from Disney and Looney Tunes at “The World of Kids,” Cruthirds said.
Another important difference is that the new store is able to offer a wider, more upscale selection of duty-free items , including jewelry, name-brand perfume, fine chocolates and such, he said.
Boutiques Abound
“We have a Cartier boutique,” Cruthirds said. “We have Rolex watches, Ebel watches upscale items which just aren’t found in typical duty-free stores.”
But just like typical duty-free stores, prices are 30 to 60 percent off retail, because duty-free stores are exempt from tariffs and other trade restrictions, he said.
Another new concept is the launch of World Duty Free’s own cosmetics line. Calisa Private Label will sit alongside high-end brands such as Estee Lauder, Dior and Chanel, Cruthirds said.
A fairly large mix of customers come to the new store. They include shoppers from Tijuana crossing the San Ysidro border to shop in the United States, tourists who cross over into Mexico, and even locals taking advantage of the lower prices, Cruthirds said.
Part Of Future Plans
Besides serving as a catalyst for further development along the border, the store brings 75 new retail jobs, and an additional 12 acres of mixed-space use. Cruthirds noted that the project received unanimous support from San Ysidro leaders.
Chris Otto, executive director of the San Ysidro Business Association, is one of the ardent supporters of the new duty-free store.
“It has created additional jobs, and it’s an attractive new development. There haven’t been that many attractive new developments going in, in recent years,” he said.
The duty-free store is also part of future development plans for the area, Otto said, including the Gateway of the Americas project.
“There are major opportunities for major revitalization and eradicating conditions of blight,” Otto added.
Baltimore-based World Duty Free runs duty-free stores along both U.S. borders and in airports throughout the country. Its parent company, London-based B.A.A., operates duty-free stores in the United Kingdom and throughout the European continent.
