Originally Posted by
sbm12
I find it hard to believe that there is a tax rate difference that amounts to $2/glass of wine. Plus, the airports don't get to assign a tax rate to goods sold within the airport. Actually, the only "tax" that an airport gets to assign is the PFC. The max on that was recently increased by the feds, but that is a ticket charge and has nothing to do with the concessions.
Actually, for consumer goods, the local sales tax rate is applied to all purchases made even on airport property. Actually, if I am in need of something, say sunglasses or headphones, and I have time, I will go to Terminal A in EWR to make the purchase because the sales tax is less due to the Enterprise Zone which exists in Elizabeth, NJ but not in Newark.
The other reason for the higher price might be due to the distributor the FLL PC has to deal with and their pricing structure. As part owner of 2 bars in Phoenix Iknow that we are required, by Alcoholic Beverage Control, to use licensed distributors to purchase our alcohol. My hands are tied sometimes because each bar operates under it's own license and some brands sell better at one bar vs. the other. We gat better discounts for volume purchases and, perhaps, the FLL PC is in the same boat. They might not sell enough of one brand to get a discount and the price they charge is merely a reflection of this.