(Note: This episode originally ran in
2018.)
Is it really cheaper to shop at an airport Duty Free store? And why are so many of them alike?
In the 1940s, if you were flying from New York City to London or Paris you would find yourself making a pit stop for fuel on the western coast of Ireland. The Shannon airport at the time wasn't much to look at, but the passengers arriving there were movie stars and celebrities, basically the super rich. And the people of Shannon realized pretty quickly that they needed to upgrade the local amenities for their wealthy clientele. They hired a man named Brendan O'Regan to make it happen. Being the quick-thinking entrepreneur that he was, O'Regan convinced the Irish government to create a tax loophole. And thus, duty free stores were born.
Today on the show, we follow the surprising origin of duty free, and try to answer the question: Are they really saving you any money?
Help support Planet Money
and hear our bonus episodes by subscribing to Planet Money
+ in Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/planetmoney.Learn more about sponsor message choices:
podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy
