World's 3 best duty-free zones

The Trip played airport retail scout and plumbed for three of the world's best spaces to buy all you desire, at duty-free and drool worthy prices

The Trip played airport retail scout and plumbed for three of the world's best spaces to buy all you desire, at duty-free and drool worthy prices

Changi International, Singapore

This airport is rumoured to be so good that travellers joke, it's worth forgoing a night at the hotel for.

But besides the comfort of free Internet, spotless loos and walkways that can take you across terminals, the shopping is incentive enough.
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Cigarettes are the cheapest if you are flying out of Singapore, and liquor is available cheaper than at most Asian airports.

Besides, they have free wine and liquor tastings for customers. The best deal here Tiger Balm costs anywhere between $2 to $20 so you save $6 to $45.

Sheikh Rashid Terminal, Dubai

If retail therapy and wanderlust are your favourite ways to beat the blues, Dubai's duty-free shopping might be what your dreams are made of.

The Dubai Duty Free Complex at the Sheikh Rashid Terminal of Dubai International Airport is massive at 5,400 square metres.

The airport offers about 7,000 sq m of shopping space. Every day is a busy day for shopping at the airport since it handles about 55,800 sales transactions with 20.3 million transactions in 2009.

Perfumes, liquor, gold and tobacco are top selling categories.

So far, they've sold: 178,413 cartons of cigarettes, which if lined up would be 120 times higher than the Eiffel Tower; 1,034,199 bottles of perfume, which if stacked together could fill an entire football stadium; 1,900 kg of gold!

Heathrow Terminal 3, London

This airport offers 48,000 sq m of sheer retail bliss. World Duty Free sells tonnes of tax-free goods at all terminals that offer great deals (including 40 per cent discounts on select perfumes).
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You can save up to 20 per cent on liquor, wines and champagne, compared to prices in the rest of London.
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They also offer to take care of your purchases till you return, if you are flying within the tax territory of EU (European Union).
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Terminal 3 of the airport is designer paradise with brands including Armani, Chanel, Dior, Gucci, Hermes, Ferragamo, Cartier, and Versace on sale.

And even if your budget allows no more than window shopping, watch out for sales at Kurt Geiger!