Wineries, Duty-Free Shops Feel Effect Of Liquids Ban

The ban on carrying liquids aboard airplanes in the wake of the foiled terror plot curbed sales at duty-free shops, at least temporarily, and had winery tasting room staff advising visitors to ship rather than tote wines home.

The restrictions, which also includes gels and lotions, are part of changes put in place Thursday after British investigators thwarted a plan to blow up airplanes using liquid explosives.

It was unclear how long the ban would be in place, but the effects were being felt immediately.

Business at duty-free shops dropped an estimated 10 to 15 percent as stores were unable to sell alcohol or perfume, said Michael Payne, executive director of the Washington, D.C.-based International Association of Duty Free Stores.

Duty-free sales are estimated at about $26 billion a year globally and $7 billion in the United States, said Payne. Liquor and perfume make up anywhere from 20 percent to 50 percent of sales, he said.

However, Payne did not expect the downturn to be permanent. At many airports, customers don’t carry their purchases out of duty-free stores, and are instead handed the items by store employees as they board their planes. The goods are also stored in secure warehouses before being delivered straight to the airport stores, Payne said.

„This is really a pretty safe channel,“ Payne said.

At the San Jose International Airport, spokesman Rich Dressler said the staff hasn’t been large enough to implement the boarding delivery system, but officials were exploring that possibility.

„Duty-free shopping here has taken a hit,“ he said.

Other airports did have what is known as plane-side delivery in place.

At the Los Angeles International Airport, spokesman Tom Winfrey said duty-free shopping for alcohol and other liquids was being allowed Friday following clarification from the Transportation Security Administration that the airport’s system of having items delivered to passengers as they boarded was acceptable.

The system was also in place at the San Francisco International Airport, although spokeswoman Lily Wang said that the mechanics had been changed to have the items delivered in the plane rather than at a point just past the gate.

In winery tasting rooms, the restrictions were a hot topic.

„Everybody’s talking about it,“ said Michaela Baltasar, spokeswoman for the Clos Du Val winery in Napa.

Like other wineries, Clos Du Val was advising customers to have wine shipped home. Direct shipping has become easier since the Supreme Court ruling last year opening the door to more shipping, although there are still some states that ban direct shipments.

For those who wanted to check wine as luggage, Clos Du Val was selling sturdy shipping containers to protect the fragile cargo. Temperature variations might still be a concern and Baltasar advised letting wine transported that way sit for a while before opening to give it a chance to stabilize.

It was hard to gauge what impact the liquids ban would have on tasting room sales. Not being able to carry the wine on board was an inconvenience that might put some customers off. On the other hand, those who opted to ship could end up buying more wine since the shipping containers can take up to 12 bottles.

For Emily White, the restrictions meant reluctantly giving up some premium wine Friday.

White, a representative from Australian winery Taltarni Vineyards, sister winery of Clos Du Val, had been planning to take home samples of Clos Du Val for Taltarni winemakers to review. But she decided it would be simpler to return the wine than try to take it.

White thought the ban had the potential to impact wine tourism, but she expected the industry to adjust, perhaps through offering price breaks if customers place larger orders for home shipping.

The restrictions may be inconvenient, she said, „but it’s better than having anything happen to people.“

Source: ktvu.com