*KUALA LUMPUR International Airport (KLIA) was hit with a -5.8% decline in sales per passenger for the first half of 2014 and would be lower but was saved somewhat by F&B increased sales which grew at +6.9%. For more information please follow this link

*JAPAN Isetan Mitsukoshi, JATCo and Narita Airport confirm a deal to establish a duty free operation within the downtown department store’s flagship outlet in Tokyo’s Ginza district. The 3,300sq m store is said to open in Autum 2015 on the eighth floor of the Mitsukoshi downtown outlet. JATCo will hold a 45% stake with Isetan Mitsukoshi and Narita Airport each holding 27.5%. For more information please follow this link

*NEW DUTY FREE COMPANY – Avia Solutions Groups, a provider of aviation business solutions, has set up a new duty free retailer called Globus Distribution which aims to operate duty free shops across Europe and Asia with it’s first stores said to open by late 2014 or early 2015. For more information please follow this link

*SOUTH KOREA The maximum duty-free allowance per capita is to be raised to $600 USD from the previous $400 USD from as early as January 2015. Since the orignal $400 ceiling was set in 1988 Korea’s per captia income has increased from $4,548 USD to $26,205 USD as of last year. For more information please follow this link