zyxlsy

Hi All

We just flew out of FUK, and found that the Tiffany there is another 10% cheaper than the DFS in Naha, Okinawa...

Anyone can confirm the reason for this? Is this just for the FUK airport, or is this luxuries being cheaper true for the overall Kyushu vs Okinawa as well?

I know that NRT sells Tiffany at a higher price than DFS in Tokyo.

Thanks!

AlwaysAisle

Hope you understand that “Duty Free” means there is no tax charged for the purchase. Does not say anything about if the store will discount the actual retail price of the item or not. In Japan duty free shops are not operated by one company. Different companies operate duty free shops at different airports, at NRT there are more than one companies operating duty free shops. Also many stores in Japan in large cities tourists area do participate in duty free sales for non-Japanese visitors.

However, how much discount provide on the retail price of each item is all dependent on individual stores. Just like one store will do discount where another store at another side of the town do not discount at all.

zyxlsy

Thanks for the reply. I did understand the concept of "duty free shopping", and I just wanted to confirm whether this price difference on luxury items is just for the FUK vs NRT, or for Kyushu vs Tokyo in a more general way.

As we all know, Tiffany stores in US use Tiffany MSRPs. In FUK, we didn't see anything saying 10% discount over MSRP or things like that.

AlwaysAisle

My understanding is that, least in Japan, those airport duty free Tiffany stores at international departure area are not directly owned and operated by Tiffany. For example Tiffany store at NRT Terminal 2 is own and operated by NAA Retailing Corp. (part of NAA which operates passenger terminal at NRT and operates FaSoLa Duty Free at NRT) under the license of Tiffany. Hence, Tiffany store at NRT Terminal 2 can set their own price, does not have to follow the manufacture’s suggested retail price of Tiffany.

Tiffany store at international departure level at FUK is operated same way. Hence if you look at Tiffany Japan website none of airport stores are listed under their boutique locations.

Such arrangement is nothing unique to Japan, such is also standard practice at many airports in the U.S. Such as Starbucks and California Pizza Kitchen at the U.S. airports are operated by HMS Host under the license. Employees at those airport locations are employed by HMS Host, not by Starbucks or California Pizza Kitchen.

EXPLAT

So where's the best place to purchase Tiffany or Mikimoto in Japan?

zyxlsy

My guessing is that Tokyo is not. My experience so far says the same.

bmwe92fan

To be honest the only reason to purchase these in Japan now is the exchange rate - and the best place is in the airport duty free shops... All of the main stores (i.e. Ginza) are FULL price - and mobbed with primarily Chinese tourists paying those prices. I was walking in Ginza yesterday and there is a luggage retailer that sells right on the main street cheap plastic luggage - 5,000 yen for a large bag. Bus after bus of tourists would show up and park down the street and they would all run to this place and buy literally hundreds of these bags - in one day last week they sold over 1,000 bags!

It's good to see the chinese tourists coming back - Japan needs them badly....

zyxlsy

What can you expect from a $45 baggage? I defintely wouldn't expect them to be as durable as Cosmolite or similar mainstream products...

Do you know any general price difference among different parts of Japan? I mean duty free prices. Is Kyushu generally cheaper than Kanto and Kansei?

Aventine

It depends on the duty free entity. This year Chubu Nagoya was giving 10th anniversary discounts of 1000 yen per 10000 yen purchase even at places like Chanel and Hermes. The Spring 2015 Hermes Boulevard Printemps scarf was a steal compared to US MSRP even before the discounts.

Fukuoka Airport's selection might not be as great as Ginza or Daimaru in Tenjin but you can gauge from their JP.online shop and compare prices.

zyxlsy

That's what I observed, but can't fully understand... This happens a lot when comparing Japan prices vs US prices for luxuries. Is it because of exchange rates?