Do you indulge in airport shopping?

Ever wondered which airport has the best shopping available? I do too, although I find that the kind of things one gets at airports vastly differs on what part of the world you are. At one time, all you could find at airport shops were cigarettes, chocolates, perfumes and alcohol, but now there is quite a variety on offer at most international airports. High end luxury items usually fare quite well in airport shops, especially accessories. My personal preference for airport shopping is to find small, unique gift items, things that are easy to store in hand luggage and don't require a separate carry bag.

“Airports are a competitive, captive retail market because when travelers are waiting for a flight, they [literally] have nowhere to go,” says Patti Pao, founder of the Pao Principle, a New York-based retail consultancy. Pao predicts that consumers will see luxury brand outposts sprouting up at more and more airports worldwide. However, the focus will be bags, not shoes and apparel — at least not in such Far East airports as Shanghai’s Pudong International or Hong Kong International.