International Shoppes

What International Shoppes does

International Shoppes, LLC is a privately held US duty-free and specialty retailer founded in 1951 by two immigrant families and headquartered in Valley Stream, New York. The company operates physical retail stores at seven US international airports — JFK (Queens, NY), HNL (Honolulu), OGG (Maui), IAD (Washington DC), BWI (Baltimore), BDL (Hartford), and IAH (Houston) — and sells directly to departing international travelers through duty-free pricing on beauty/fragrances, liquor and wine, fashion accessories, tobacco, and food/confectionery. Authorized retailer partnerships with global luxury brands (Chanel, Dior, Glenfiddich, The Macallan) and a 'Travel Exclusives' assortment differentiate its product mix from general retail.

The company runs an e-commerce pre-order platform at ishoppes.com that allows travelers to browse products, reserve items, enter flight details (airport, terminal, flight number, departure date/time), and pick up purchases in-store or have them delivered at the gate before departure. The platform is integrated with the airport footprint but is transactional rather than AI-driven; there are no disclosed APIs, SDKs, or third-party integrations. Pricing is per-transaction with volume promotions (e.g., 'Buy 2 Save 15%, Buy 3 Save 20%') and product prices range from roughly $5 to $5,000+ for premium spirits.

International Shoppes generates revenue through direct duty-free retail sales to travelers at airport locations, operating a B2B concession model with airport authorities (Port Authority of NY/NJ, JFKIAT, Hawaii DOT) as the upstream channel that grants access, while the end customers are individual travelers. In April 2026, the company materially expanded via two major wins: a consortium with ARI (DAA's retail arm) to redesign and operate JFK Terminal 4 retail as part of the $1.5 billion T4 North Star transformation, and a 10-year contract with the Hawaii Department of Transportation (via Ben Crump Enterprises) to replace DFS Group at Honolulu and Kahului airports. The company has 101-250 employees and is owned and operated by a third-generation family management team, with no disclosed institutional investment or public listing.

Name

International Shoppes

Legal name

International Shoppes, LLC

Website

https://ishoppes.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1951

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

International Shoppes is a third-generation, family-owned US duty-free retailer operating physical stores and an e-commerce pre-order platform at seven US international airports, serving departing international travelers with beauty, liquor, fashion, tobacco, and food products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Airport Duty-Free Retail

NAICS

Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (4453), Tobacco, Electronic Cigarette, and Other Smoking Supplies Retailers (459991), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456), Food and Beverage Retailers (445)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940), Retail-Convenience Stores (5412)

akta.pro primary industry

Travel Retail Concessions & Retail Operators (Alcohol/Tobacco) (CRANAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Airport Duty-Free Alcohol & Tobacco Stores (CRANAIAA), Travel Hub Specialty Alcohol Retail (Whisky/Wine Boutiques in Airports/Stations) (CRANAIAH), Travel Hub Tobacco & Nicotine Specialty Retail (Cigars/Heated Tobacco in Airports/Stations) (CRANAIAI), Alcohol, Tobacco & Cannabis Inventory-led Online Retailers (CRAFADAO)

Keywords

• Airport duty-free retail
• Travel retail operator
• Concessionaire services
• Liquor and tobacco
• Fragrance and beauty

Headquarters

HQ city

Valley Stream

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Duty-Free Retail Sales: International Shoppes generates revenue through direct sales of duty-free products including beauty/fragrances, liquor/wine, fashion accessories, tobacco, and food to travelers at airport locations. Products are sold at duty-free prices, allowing travelers to save on taxes and duties. The company operates physical retail stores at airport terminals and supports pre-ordering through its e-commerce platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International Shoppes sells duty-free and specialty retail products—fragrances, beauty, spirits, wine, fashion accessories, tobacco, and confectionery—to international travelers at seven US airport terminals. Customers can browse the assortment online via ishoppes.com, submit flight details, and pick up their orders in-store or at the gate before departure. The business operates under long-term concession contracts secured from airport authorities (Port Authority of NY & NJ, JFKIAT, Hawaii DOT).

Product overview

International Shoppes operates a duty-free and specialty retail business with both physical airport stores and an e-commerce platform (iShoppes Online Store). The company offers products across five main categories: Beauty (fragrances, makeup, skincare, and gift sets), Liquor & Wine (spirits, wines, and champagne), Fashion (accessories, jewelry, sunglasses), Tobacco (cigarettes and cigars), and Food (candy, chocolate, tea, and gift sets). They also feature a Travel Exclusives category with products unique to travel retail. Their Pre-Order System allows travelers to reserve products online and pick them up in-store. The company operates stores at seven US airports: JFK, HNL, OGG, IAD, BWI, BDL, and IAH, and recently secured partnerships to operate duty-free shops at JFK Terminal 4 and Hawaii airports.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Beauty Beauty category offering women's and men's fragrance, makeup, skincare, bath & body, candles, and beauty gift sets from premium and luxury brands such as Chanel and Dior, sold duty-free to international travelers.
• Liquor & Wine Spirits (bourbon, brandy, cognac, gin, rum, tequila/mezcal, vermouth, vodka, whisky), still and sparkling wines, and champagne from brands such as Glenfiddich and The Macallan, sold duty-free to international travelers.
• Fashion Fashion accessories, fashion jewelry, and sunglasses (including Ray-Ban) sold duty-free to international travelers.
• Tobacco Cigarettes from US and international markets and cigars sold duty-free to eligible international travelers.
• Food Confectionery including candy, chocolate, gift sets, gum and mints, and tea sold duty-free to international travelers.
• Travel Exclusives Assortment of products exclusive to travel retail spanning beauty, food, liquor & wine, and tobacco categories, available only to departing international travelers.
• iShoppes Online Store with Pre-Order System Online shopping platform enabling travelers to browse, reserve, and pre-order duty-free products by providing flight details (airport, terminal, flight number, destination, departure date/time) and pick up purchases in-store or at the gate before departure.
• Airport Duty-Free Store Operations In-airport duty-free and specialty retail store operations at seven US airports (JFK, HNL, OGG, IAD, BWI, BDL, IAH), offering curated brand selections, custom-tailored store designs, and experiential shopping under long-term concession contracts.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.

• ARI (A daa company)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026ARI, the retail business of Irish State airports operator DAA, partnered with International Shoppes through JFK T4 Retail Partners LLC consortium to redesign and operate duty-free and specialty retail concessions at JFK Terminal 4. The partnership assumed operations on April 1, 2026 as part of the $1.5 billion T4 North Star transformation. The consortium plans to invest $50 million across nine outlets with 2,500sq m of retail space, projecting $100 million annual turnover. This marks ARI's first US venture, having operated in 26 locations across 12 countries.
• Ben Crump EnterprisescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 February 2026International Shoppes partnered with Ben Crump Enterprises to operate duty-free and specialty retail shops at Honolulu (Daniel K. Inouye International Airport) and Kahului (Kahului Airport) airports under a 10-year contract beginning April 1, replacing DFS Hawaii. The partnership aims to feature locally made Hawaiian products alongside international brands to support local merchants and artisans.
• JFKIATflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJFKIAT, operator of JFK Terminal 4, selected JFK T4 Retail Partners LLC (including International Shoppes and ARI) as the new duty-free and specialty retail partner. This partnership is part of the Port Authority's broader transformation of JFK Airport into a world-class global gateway, combining local New York businesses with global brands to create a distinctly New York travel experience.
• Port Authority of New York and New JerseyflagshipChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Port Authority of New York and New Jersey selected JFK T4 Retail Partners LLC (a consortium of ARI and International Shoppes) to operate duty-free and specialty retail concessions at JFK Terminal 4 as part of the $1.5 billion T4 North Star transformation program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DFS Group: Global duty-free luxury retailer (LVMH-owned) operating airport duty-free stores worldwide, including the recent Hawaii operations that International Shoppes displaced at Honolulu and Kahului. Most directly comparable as a global duty-free concessions operator focused on premium brands at international gateways.
• 3Sixty Duty Free: US-headquartered travel-retail operator specializing in duty-free and luxury retail at airports in the Americas. Directly comparable as a North American-focused airport duty-free concessions competitor with similar product mix (spirits, beauty, tobacco, fashion).
• Duty Free Americas: One of the largest US-based duty-free operators with significant presence at US international airports. Direct competitor for duty-free concession contracts at US gateways and overlapping product categories (spirits, tobacco, beauty, confectionery).
• Stellar Partners: US-based airport retail concessions operator running newsstands, specialty retail, and duty-free stores across US airports. Comparable as a US-focused mid-sized concessions competitor bidding on similar airport RFPs.
• ARI (DAA Retail): Retail arm of Irish State airports operator DAA, running duty-free and specialty retail across 26 locations in 12 countries. Direct partner in the JFK T4 consortium and comparable as a duty-free concessions operator now expanding into the US market.

Broad incumbents

• Avolta (formerly Dufry): World's largest travel-retail operator with thousands of duty-free and specialty retail stores across airports globally. Directly comparable business model (airport concession duty-free and specialty retail) but operates at vastly larger scale and across broader geographies than International Shoppes.
• Lagardère Travel Retail: Major global travel-retail operator (part of Lagardère Group) running duty-free, convenience, and specialty stores at airports worldwide. Comparable as a multi-category airport concessions operator; broader portfolio (foodservice, convenience) than International Shoppes.
• WH Smith: Global travel-retail operator (UK-listed) running newsstands, bookstores, and convenience/duty-free stores at airports and travel hubs. Comparable in airport small-format retail and travel-hub distribution; broader footprint and product mix.

Regional players

• The Shilla Duty Free: Korean travel-retail operator (part of Samsung-related holdings) running duty-free stores primarily across Asia-Pacific airports. Comparable business model and premium brand focus, but operates predominantly in Asia rather than competing directly with International Shoppes in the US.
• King Power Duty Free: Thai-based travel-retail operator with duty-free concessions across Asia-Pacific airports. Comparable as a duty-free specialty retail operator; geographically distant from International Shoppes' US-only footprint.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xinstagram.com/isdutyfree
• Facebookfacebook.com/isdutyfree
• Instagraminstagram.com/isdutyfree

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Shoppes