Strong summer in Israel for James Richardson

Nicole Mezzasalma

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Retail operator generated $80m in sales during the season

James Richardson has reported “strong” summer sales of $80m in its Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport shops in Israel thanks to a weak dollar and a rise in the number of tourists, according to The Jerusalem Post. The US currency weakened by 4.5% against the Israeli shekel over the past month, driving the company’s sales.

The news will come as a relief to the retail operator, which had recently reported an 8% drop in spend per passenger since moving to the airport’s new international terminal two and a half years ago. JR Duty Free CEO Avi Ben-Hur told the newspaper that the sales were up by 22% when compared to the same period last year. “We expect this growth trend to continue during the [Jewish] High Holiday season [in late September/early October]," he said.

Ben-Hur added that the duty-free retailer was investing NIS2m ($485,672) in public campaigns in preparation for the Jewish holidays. The company expects over half a million passengers to pass through the airport terminal during the period, an increase of 10% over 2006.