With my
busy schedule and travel the only time I really get to shop for is not at my
destinations but actually during transit at the airports. And I really don’t
mind that much. Since airports stocks up variety and chosen products at a
preferential rates than the ones I would actually get after I walk out from the
airport. Chocolates, souvenirs, liquors and perfumes, in addition to
accessories and clothes- one can very well choose the best of brands from a
duty free shop.
After a
long time, I had this opportunity to fly from Delhi and as soon as I completed
my immigration formalities, I was greeted by a glitterati of lights and nicely
showcased perfume stalls from the finest perfumers of the world. The
stocking was eye catchy and the range of products available was also huge. I
had been meaning to check out some perfumes so I strolled leisurely towards the
perfumes section. There were some offers also available, but more than offers,
it is always the product that finally clinches the deal for me. I have recently
seen quite a few ads of Robert Pattinson donning the Dior homme perfume, so I
went towards the Dior section first. In fact perfume and wide range of
cosmetics by luxury perfumers is the first section of the Delhi Duty Free
experience. And believe me when I say, you will be hooked from this section
onwards. Awesome ranges of perfumes and cosmetics were lined up across big
showcases. From Dior and Chanel to Issey Miyake and Elizabeth Arden, you will
find one for everyone in your list. There were collector’s edition perfumes too,
where some small bottles of five or six different perfumes by one particular
perfumer like Estee Lauder and Bvlgari were packaged in a neat box- ideal for
gifting. My journey had not even started and looked like I was about to spend
all my money in the Delhi Duty Free section itself.
‘Get a grip’
I tell myself and saunter out of the perfume section only to be greeted by the
liquor and chocolate section. I am not looking at the liquor section at all,
but I can still see all the big brands like Johny Walker, Jim Beam, Baileys and
the ever popular Red/Blue/Green/Black labels almost tauntingly inviting all connoisseurs
to come and grab a bottle. The display is really effective, and I am sure it
does have the desired effect, since the POS has a long queue. I am almost
tempted to pick up a bottle of Irish Cream myself. Adjacent to this section is the chocolate section. I have a really sweet tooth, and this place was like a paradise for me. From Lindt to Guliyan this section boasts of stocking every brand any chocolate lover have heard of. There was a section of some of the most premium chocolates from across the globe and yeah, my favorite Godiva chocolates were nicely stacked. It was almost like they were calling out to me to grab all of those packs and run. And yeah, I did pick up a few, but considering that I had the journey to continue, I didn't want to be burdened by too many packets.
Then I
move on towards the clothes and apparel section. The collection In Delhi Duty
Free is really admirable. The brands are also at par with any Duty Free Shop in
the other airports. But one shop where I really splurged is the Swarovski
store. They had some awesome collections, and some of the pieces were exclusive
to the Delhi Duty Free Store only. I bought a pair of ear-rings for my mom and
I did get a pendant for myself too. Although I am poorer by a few thousands I
am really glad I stopped by Delhi Duty Free. Courteous and helpful staff and
really hassle free shopping. Delhi Duty Free is now available for every traveler
going onwards from Delhi Airport Terminal 3. For more details log on to:
