Platinum Sponsor:

FDFA 25th Anniversary Convention – Hotel Guest Room Reservation Reminder

With the upcoming FDFA 25th Anniversary Convention just around the corner, we would like to remind all FDFA members that the deadline to book your hotel room at the Sheraton on the Falls under the FDFA block is October 10th, 2010.

By booking your hotel room(s) before October 10th, you will receive the negotiated discounted hotel rates. After the deadline, the hotel will charge you their prevailing rate based on their availability. At this time, the FDFA has over 85% of our members registered for the convention.

Please make your guest room reservation directly through the hotel by using the following link: http://www.starwoodmeeting.com/Book/fdfa.

Or call Toll Free: 1-888-229-9961. Please ensure to specify the FDFA room block to ensure you receive the FDFA special rates.

FDFA Room Block Rates are as follows:

• Traditional $155 CAD/Night
• Partial Fallsview $175 CAD/Night
• Fallsview $195 CAD/Night

For further information on all convention activities, please refer to the FDFA’s Member only website at www.dutyfreecanada.com. If you have technical difficulties or have forgotten your username and password – do not hesitate to email or call the FDFA directly at aboucher@fdfa.ca or 613-688-9788.

We look forward to seeing everyone in Niagara Falls, ON on November 14th to 17th, 2010 to help us celebrate the FDFA’s 25th Anniversary!!

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Other FDFA Convention Updates:

Niagara Falls Event on Friday, November 12th
For those FDFA members who are interested in travelling to Niagara ahead of the scheduled convention opening dates, please note that on Friday, November 12th, 2010, the Niagara region is featuring their Light of Day 4 Main Event at the Greg Frewin Theatre. Vincent Pastore of the Sopranos will be hosting the event, which features some terrific bands.

For more information on the Light of Day Event – please refer to the following link: http://www.lightofdayniagara.com/eventcalendar/index

FDFA Convention “Who’s Here” Listing
On the FDFA Website a newly created web page is available on the members only section under the convention page – entitled “Who’s Here”. This page is continuously updated and provides each member with a current listing of members who have confirmed their convention registrations. We hope that this newly developed page will assist our members when booking your convention appointments.

Supplier Sponsorship Opportunities
For any of our supplier members who are interested in sponsoring any of the FDFA Convention events, please contact Laurie Karson at the FDFA to find out which limited spaces are still available.

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FDFA Buyer’s Contact Listing - 2010

For our FDFA Supplier Members, please note that as a FDFA member benefit, each of you receive yearly the FDFA Buyer’s Contact Listing, which provides the following information:

Store Name, Address, Phone Information, Email, and Website (where applicable) – for both land and airport duty free members. This document also provides the category buyer’s names and contact information i.e. fragrance buyers for each store.

FDFA Buyer’s Contact Listing Document

This information is also permanently located on the FDFA website under the member’s only site under General Information. We encourage all of our supplier members to use this document to assist you in setting up your convention appointments. Again, each convention delegate will be receiving the FDFA hard copy convention directory upon registration. This directory will be posted online via our member’s only website after the convention closes.

NOTE: If any of our stores notice an error or a change in the buyer’s guide, do not hesitate to contact Laurie or Allison at the FDFA.

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Canada Welcomes China’s First Tour Groups – How this can impact land border duty free stores

This August 2010, Canada officially welcomed the first official Chinese leisure tour groups under the Approved Destination Status agreement with China. As Minister Day was recently quoted during the official welcoming ceremony in Vancouver for the first Chinese tour group “Now that Approved Destination Status between our two countries is fully operational – and with an expected 100 million international travellers from China overall by 2020 – doors are opening to attract even more visitors from China”.

Since the ADS agreement, there have been 21 tour operators that have been accredited through the Inbound Tour Operators Accreditation Office (ITOAO) in Ottawa, ON. Of those 21 tour operators, six tour operators have already engaged their tour groups via travelling through Canada since the beginning of August – possibly on multiple trips.

Recommendation: The FDFA works in close proximity to the ITOAO office, and has requested that the tour operator application process denote tour operators that are considering any cross border travel as part of their travel itineraries. This information has now been provided back to the FDFA, and we encourage our land border operators to reach out to these specific tour operators, who have been recently accredited, to promote their duty free stores and unique shopping experience.

Read more...

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National Collaborative Land Border Duty Free Marketing Initiative Underway

The FDFA National Collaborative Land Border Marketing Initiative is now underway. As noted in previous member communications, the FDFA retained the services of Beakbane Retail Connections to develop and implement a national marketing initiative with the objective to generate greater public awareness of Canadian land border duty free stores and the consumer benefits of shopping duty free. Part of Beakbane’s mandate is to re-brand our industry and develop marketing tactics that will effectively increase our presence in today’s challenging business environment.

Due to other recent industry priorities, the initiative was delayed from its original timelines. However, we are anticipating that the land border duty free store owners/operators will be able to view the newly developed national website prototype at the upcoming FDFA Convention. Laurie Karson, alongside Steve Richardson, Niagara Duty Free and Nancy Enright of BHT de Philipsburg will be overseeing the implementation of the marketing initiative and providing the FDFA Board with marketing updates and recommendations. The FDFA Marketing Implementation Committee’s first task has been to review the new duty free logo, focus group research questions/design, and brand concepts. The primary purpose of the research component is to present the identified brand concepts to CDN’s (over 1000 focus group recipients will receive brand surveys) so that the optimal duty free messaging can be determined. Based on all of the branding work being conducted, Beakbane will finalize one of the brand concepts and deliver it to the FDFA in the form of a brand board that will become the centre of our duty free marketing efforts and will influence the imagery, copy, tactics, etc.

The FDFA looks forward to sharing with all of our members the new national website, and marketing design outcomes.

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FDFA Store Updates

Western Duty Free Golf Classic – Golfing Spots still Available
If you are interested in participating at the upcoming Western Duty Free Golf Classic, there are a few spots still available.

Please find attached the registration form the B.C. Duty Free Classic 2010, taking place September 14th, 2010 at Hazelemere Country Club in British Columbia.

click to open the registration form

All registrations and enquiries for this event should be directed to - Bev Moody at West Coast Duty Free Store, phone: 604-538-3222 or
f ax: 604-538-4500.

Niagara Duty Free Golf Tournament – The FDFA Congratulates the Niagara Duty Free stores for their recent golf tournament

The Niagara Golf Tournament Sponsors: Queenston-Lewsiton Duty Free, Peace Bridge Duty Free and Niagara Duty Free held yet another fantastic and successful golf tournament on Monday, August 23rd at Bridgewater Country Club in Fort Erie, ON.

They had over 140 golfers registered for the event, and raised $5000.00 for C.O.P.E. – Fort Erie (Community Outreach Program Erie –Fort Erie). C.O.P.E. is a referral agency and resource centre that provides advocacy and emergency assistance. They provide a variety of services in the Fort Erie Community to families in need, including food; second hand clothing; prescriptions; diapers and résumé preparation.

On behalf of the Niagara stores, a heartfelt thank you to all of the suppliers and operators who participated.

Peace Bridge Duty Free - New Website

Congratulations to Peace Bridge Duty Free on the recent launch of their newly designed website in early August 2010. The website will be undergoing further technical upgrades over the next couple of months. We encourage all FDFA Operator and Supplier members to visit the new website which we believe highlights their store products, services and travel information extremely well - www.dutyfree.ca

Peace Arch Duty Free & Boutique Hors-Taxes De La Beauce Inc. – Increased Traffic & Sales Increases

Based on a recent FDFA conversation with Peter Raju, President/CEO of Peace Arch Duty Free, he noted that since July 2009, their store has seen overall sales increases over 10%. The attributing factor can be linked to traffic increases (an additional 200,000 cars), which is the result of the recent road completion by U.S. Border Services of 10 lanes into Washington State at Peace Arch’s crossing. Mr. Raju also noted that they are seeing specific product increases in their luxury watch and purses. Their liquor sales increases is due to their recent success in liquor negotiations (led by Peter Raju) that has resulted in Peace Arch passing on better liquor savings to the their customer base.

It should also be noted that Peace Arch Duty Free has been nominated for the Best Land Based Border Duty Free Shop at the upcoming Frontier Awards being held in Cannes, France at this year’s TFWA Convention. On behalf of everyone at the FDFA – we wish Peace Arch the very best of luck at the upcoming awards ceremony.

During a recent discussion with Eric LaPointe of BHT De La Beauce, he noted that in 2009, their store was at a record low point in sales. This year, he is happy to report that their sales are up by 11% and growing. He noted that due to the completion of road construction at their crossing, they now have four lanes of traffic open, and U.S. Customs has done a fantastic job in traffic management. At one time, their store saw massive traffic line-ups and now have smooth traffic flow, thus contributing to their sales increases. He noted that they have 88% CDN customers with approx. 10% U.S. customers through their store. Most CDN’s travelling through BHT De La Beauce are travelling to New England, Maine and New Hampshire on vacations.

Canadian Airport Duty Free Sales – Phenomenal Increases

Over the past year, the FDFA has been reporting on the national duty free sales figures for both airport and land border. Many of our members have asked why the airport duty free stores have seen such significant sales growth, such as the recent June 2010 sales figures whereby the airports averaged increases over 22% in the month of June 2010 alone.

Upon speaking with Tony Felany of Aldeasa (Vancouver Airport), he noted the following when asked his opinion as to why sales have been so successful.

Tony noted: “We attribute the growth to various factors, first, last year during the month of May we saw the impact of the H1N1 pandemic which reflected in the reduction of the number of passengers travelling thru YVR. Other factors have been the strong marketing and promotional campaigns we are currently having at our stores. We are seeing very strong gains in spend by passenger. Since November 2009 we also have a post-security store at transborder”

Tony also noted that for the upcoming FDFA Convention, they would like to expand their product lines to include more Canadiana products such as ice wines, local craft, local confectionary, and watches in the middle price range,

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New 2010 FDFA Supplier Members

The FDFA welcomes our new FDFA Supplier Members. Please see below a summary of the new supplier member companies, products, and contact information. We encourage all of our operator and associate members to welcome our new members at the upcoming convention.

New Member - Philippe Dandurand Wines (on trade floor at convention)

In 1968, Philippe Dandurand set up, on behalf of five shareholders, an organization which specialized in the import of wines. Since 1972, he has been the sole shareholder and proprietor of the Company. In 1990, he acquired an Ontario agency and Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd. was launched. This acquisition enabled him to expand his field of activity in Central and Eastern Canada, namely, Québec, Ontario and the Atlantic Provinces. As of August 1st 2003, with the acquisition of Academy Brands International, Philippe Dandurand Wines now spans the entire country.

Vins Philippe Dandurand Inc. and Philippe Dandurand Wines Ltd. have a solid knowledge of the Canadian market. Thanks to experience acquired in the field, and the professionalism and enthusiasm of the sales teams across the country, the products represented under the Philippe Dandurand banner are enjoying growth in both sales and reputation. Philippe Dandurand Wines is now the largest wine-focused company in Canada.

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Business Phone Number: 1-888-820-2087
Email: mwicksted@pdanduran.com
Contact: Matt Wicksted

New Member – J.M. Cazes Selection (on trade floor at convention)

The Cazes family, owner of Château Lynch-Bages Grand Cru Classé, has long stood for vision and dedication to top flight winemaking. With this worldwide renowned team, J.M. Cazes Selection offers a super collection of locally produced wines from some of the most exciting viticulture areas in Bordeaux, Southern France, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Portugal and Australia. The pedigree, professionalism and reputation of the company are at the heart of its today success in travel retail (Duty Free Shops, Airlines & Cruiseline business).

Location: Macau, France
Primary Contact: Mr Florent Cazaux
Tel:  +33 (0) 5 57 88 55 73
Cell: +33 (0) 6 12 15 09 94
florent.cazaux@jmcazes-selection.com

Secondary Contact: Mr Marc Hoffmann
Tel:   +33 (0) 5 57 88 55 71
Cell: +33 (0) 6 12 26 52 81
mhoffmann@jmcazes-selection.com
Website: www.jmcazes.com

New Member – Baltic Amber Ltd. (on trade floor at convention)

At Baltic Amber Ltd. we specialize in highest quality of Amber from the Baltic Sea. We are known for our unique and yet practical designs. We use Sterling Silver throughout our collection. We carry the largest collection of Semi-precious stones from all around the world. One of our best selling items is the leaf collection, which is already a hit among the Duty Free Stores. These are natural leaves such as Maple leaf, Birch, Oak leaf, Ginkgo Leaf that are electroplated in sterling silver, 24K Gold and copper. These are light weighed and very ornate pieces unique in it’s nature. Our Amber jewellery selection includes; pendants, earrings, bracelets, necklaces, charms, rings, brooches and some very unique and collectable pieces that will not only sell, but will also work as a great Showpiece in your display. Please come and see our collection in our booth for yourself at the DFS Show in Niagara Falls this Fall.

Location: Toronto, Ontario
Business Phone Number: 416-363-9390
Email: info@balticamberltd.com
Contact: Waheed Fakeiry
Website: balticamberltd.com

New Member – Vangogh Import (convention bookings in private suite)

Super premium Van Gogh Vodka, Van Gogh’s flavoured vodkas and Van Gogh Gin are distilled and bottled by the Royal Dirkzwager Distilleries in Schiedam, Holland. The city is famous since the 16th century not only because of the excellent water quality but also for innovation in distillation sciences. The Royal Dirkzwager Distillery is a family owned business, passed down from father to son since 1879 received in 2004 a Royal Appointment by Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands for 125 years of consistent excellence and reliable quality. Handmade in small batches by our own Master Distiller Tim Vos, Van Gogh Vodka is painstakingly crafted using only the finest fruit, grains and purified water. The grain alcohol goes through a multiple distillation process followed by an all-natural double infusion flavouring process.

Location: Orlando Florida
Cell Phone Number: 508-241-1856
Email: k.smith@vangoghvodka.com
Contact: Kevin Smith
Website: www.vangoghvodka.com

Northern Souvenirs - manufacturer of souvenir and promotional wear
(on trade floor at convention)

Northern Souvenirs is a leading supplier of embroidered and printed MADE IN CANADA garments to the tourist and promotional industries.

Our commitment is to provide our customers with a quality product at a competitive price. We offer a diverse product line ranging from the regular hooded sweatshirts to the sophisticated outerwear garments, and that in a variety of sizes from infant to adult and oversize.

We at Northern Souvenirs understand the challenges of running a seasonal business, which is why we keep stock inventory in order to ensure prompt delivery delays.

Furthermore, we require no minimum orders or certain breakdowns, therefore facilitating the ordering process for our customers.

We pride ourselves on our diligent customer service and are committed to work with our customers in order to ensure our joint success.

Location: Montreal, Quebec
Business Phone Number: 514-385-4757
Email: raffi@northernsouvenirs.ca
Contact: Mary Gualtieri
Website: northernsouvenirs.ca

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Credit and debit card payments: Code of conduct aims at protecting your business
- Retailer feedback critical to ensuring industry adherence

The FDFA received the following press release from the Retail Council of Canada this August 2010. While it was circulated to our members, we ask that those members who are concerned about credit card rates review this important information.

Last week, the federal code of conduct for Canada’s credit and debit card markets came into effect. The code is the product of almost two years of lobbying by RCC and its StopStickingItToUs coalition representing over 250,000 Canadian merchants and aims to provide merchants with increased pricing flexibility, the ability to encourage consumers to choose the lowest-cost payment option and finally the introduction of measures to allow merchants to freely choose which payment options they will accept.

As the code was being drafted earlier this year, RCC made it clear to policy makers that an oversight mechanism was needed to monitor the code and ensure adherence to its provisions. Also, laws needed to be changed to provide the Minister of Finance with the powers to regulate the industry if industry players did not follow the code in good faith. Following consultations with RCC and other stakeholders, the government introduced the Payment Card Network Act in the spring of 2010. The Act changed the mandate of the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada (FCAC) to oversee the payments market as it relates to the code and report back to government on the industry’s progress. The Act also provides the Minister of Finance with the appropriate powers to regulate the industry if it is deemed necessary.

Read more...

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FDFA Semi-Annual Meeting 2011 – Update

For the upcoming FDFA Semi-Annual Operator/Owner meeting this upcoming spring 2011, the FDFA Board has agreed on a tentative meeting date and location.

The FDFA requests that our FDFA land border duty free owners/operators tentatively block your calendar for the next FDFA Semi-Annual Meeting on:

Date: April 12th to 14th, 2011
Location: Ottawa/Gatineau
Hotel: Hilton Lac Leamy

IMPORTANT NOTE: The FDFA Board of Directors has decided that 90 days prior to the start date of the April semi-annual meeting, they will re-assess if there are enough significant issues that warrant a live operator’s meeting. Once this decision has been made, the FDFA will communicate to the land border operators a confirmation of the above times/location, or notify our members that no live meeting will occur. We request that no travel plans be made at this time. Each operator will be advised by the FDFA in mid-December or early January as to whether the meeting is confirmed.

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Future FDFA Communiqué Dates for 2010 / 2011:

Upcoming FDFA Communiqué Release dates for 2010 and the first half of 2011 are:

December 15th, 2010
March 9th, 2011
June 8th, 2011

If you have an idea for an article, or would like to tell us about something of interest to all duty free FDFA members, please contact Laurie Karson at lkarson@fdfa.ca.  Your feedback is important and valued.

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Gold Sponsors:

For comments and/or questions contact:

Laurie Karson – Executive Director
lkarson@fdfa.ca
www.dutyfreecanada.com