Popular products including perfumes, makeup and hair straighteners were found to be cheaper online than in duty free two thirds of the time.
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The research from comparison website PriceSpy demonstrates the importance of shopping around before being lured in by a so-called bargain.
Bare Minerals Original Foundation SPF15 8g was found to be almost £11 cheaper online than in duty free, costing £16.70 on secretsales.co.uk compared to £27.25 in duty free.
Meanwhile, you could bag some Burberry Emily sunglasses at the cheapest online retailer for £139.99 compared to £170 in duty free – a saving of £30.
The biggest price difference found by PriceSpy was the Cartier Pasha de Cartier EDT 100ml perfume, which cost £40.53 from the cheapest retailer on PriceSpy, while in duty free you would pay £64 more at £104.65.
PriceSpy, which tracks the history of how much items cost from over 6,000 shops, also spotted the Chloé Nomade Absolu de Parfum Eau de Parfum 50ml Spray was £12.65 cheaper on perfume-click.co.uk than in duty free: £61.55 compared to £74.20.
A GHD Curve curling wand was found online for £115.99, while in duty free it would cost £124.15.
Experts say goods are now rarely cheaper in duty free as online shopping has pushed prices down over time.
The research analysed duty free prices at three major UK airports – London Heathrow, Manchester Airport and Birmingham International.
PriceSpy found nine out of 10 makeup products it analysed were cheaper online with an average saving of 34%, or £8.11.
Nine of the 10 skincare products were also slightly cheaper online, with average savings of 7% compared with duty free.
Scott Dixon, a consumer and shopping expert, said: “Duty free shops are designed to meander you through the aisles with eye-catching displays and price labels, but I would avoid buying anything in UK duty free shops as the prices are rarely competitive to what you pay on the high street.
“Often you will find goods cheaper in the local shops abroad than in the host country’s duty-free shops. This is often true with tobacco and alcohol.
“It pays to do your research in advance if you are looking for specific products. As duty free varies in different countries, you may be able to pick up bargains on the way home.”
You can check duty free prices in advance on the World Duty Free website before you go away and compare them to prices online.
Price comparison sites such as Trolley help you weigh up prices across different retailers.
Make sure you know your destination’s duty free shopping rules before you buy to avoid being hit with any unexpected taxes. Most countries have a limit on how much duty free shopping you can bring with you.
You can check HMRC to see the rules for bringing goods home.
Do you have a money problem that needs sorting? Get in touch by emailing [email protected]