For a retailer placed by the nearest exit, and in a country where people are constantly coming and going, Dubai Duty Free has managed to do something remarkable. This achievement is not, as The National reported yesterday, selling such a wide range of goods, and in such astonishing quantities – although that is noteworthy. Who knew, for example, that travellers departing Dubai were in such need of Tang and Nido, powdered juice and milk respectively? (Those were two of the company’s biggest sellers last year.)
Rather, the most amazing achievement of the company must be retaining staff for such a long period. Of the 100 staff who set up the company in 1983, 44 remain with DDF, three decades later. Colm McLoughlin, the head of the company, is clearly proud of this: “We sack people if they steal,” he told this newspaper, “That’s the only reason we’ve ever terminated a contract.”
In a country with so many expats, where so many people come and go every year, DDF’s achievement is rare. It’s a testament to the company that they have managed to retain so many of their staff, despite flights to their home countries being just a few steps away.