duty free shopping Subic

[mogo51]

Whilst in Subic Bay a few days ago, went to Royale Duty Free. It was more expensive than shopping at the local supermarket!  Yes wide range of goods but at very over inflated prices.

Did manage to buy some razor blades a few dollars cheaper than normal, that was it.  Liquor etc way over the local price.

I later found out that it refers to the 10% local tax only, all other taxes are still there.

[robert k]

I'm sure someone has founded a school of thought where things just cost what they cost. If you were to catch a break on taxes, someone else will just raise the price so they can skim that much more off in profit.

Beside that, you are rich or you wouldn't be shopping for imported items in the duty free shop?

Edited October 23, 2016 by robert k

[chris49]

6 hours ago, mogo51 said:

Whilst in Subic Bay a few days ago, went to Royale Duty Free. It was more expensive than shopping at the local supermarket!  Yes wide range of goods but at very over inflated prices.

Did manage to buy some razor blades a few dollars cheaper than normal, that was it.  Liquor etc way over the local price.

I later found out that it refers to the 10% local tax only, all other taxes are still there.

I'm pretty sure those are all US  products  and not the ones produced locally under license.

Quite a lot of ex pats also shop at S@R around the Philippines for higher quality all imported goods. For some people that is important.

A good example for us Aussies would be Campbell's soup. Or Heinz. Since I was a kid I loved the tomato soup always having it on cold days or when sick. Quite hard to find in the Philippines and always at a premium price. Available there at duty free I think.

And the wine and imported spirits. It's hard to see how it's tax free unless it's already taxed in the USA? But tax free in the Philippines. I don't know. I walked through there a few years ago and was horrified by the pricing.

But the gasoline and diesel is legitimately tax free if I recall correctly.

[Jack Peterson]

2 hours ago, chris49 said:

But tax free in the Philippines. I don't know.

 Chris I will agree with you but there is a big Difference between 'Duty' & 'Tax' free. Duty free is a Customs thing Tax Free is a BIR thing

[scott h]

21 hours ago, mogo51 said:

Yes wide range of goods but at very over inflated prices.

I remember when we would visit on vacations it always involved a trip to the duty free near NAIA. At the time it was the only place you could get certain items. Now a lot of those same items are available at S&R or other higher end places. It was considered an "outing" that we would "sponser" (terms sound familiar folks ). True the prices are almost always higher, but the goods are all (that I have seen) imported and not regionally made copies.

To this date it is still the only place I have found "real" Frito corn chips (a yankee staple lol) and the only place that consistently has REAL American Miracle Whip.

I would caution that a buyer ALWAYS checks expiration dates. Takes a long time for products to reach the shelves sometimes.

[mogo51]

I did verify today that I saved 30% on my precious razor blades.  My friend paid 920bht for the same blades in Pattaya recently!  I would have been checking for the gold plating!

[chris49]

21 hours ago, Jack Peterson said:

 Chris I will agree with you but there is a big Difference between 'Duty' & 'Tax' free. Duty free is a Customs thing Tax Free is a BIR thing

It serves mainly to confuse the customer.

What is duty free or tax free is a US product with a profit margin already tacked on before it gets here. And although it's duty free or tax free it's inconsequential after adding the cost of shipping and the local mark up.

Whereas "Duty Free" as I know is directly sent from the manufacturer to the duty free area.

But you have to be alert. There at Sidney Airport they have a large number of outlets. Some are duty free and some are not selling original name brand items at high prices. You would have had to have priced the item in advance.

At Colombo Airport Duty Free Liquor. They sell the local Sri Lankan Arrack for about 3 times the local price because it comes it a boutique style bottle and has "For Export" written on it.

[Jack Peterson]

40 minutes ago, chris49 said:

But you have to be alert.

 Very much so!  Just because it is Duty Free means Naff all, they will add whatever tax they feel like  Retailing is all about a PROFIT for whoever needs it

And in light of current things the PI needs every Peso

 JMHO

Edited October 24, 2016 by Jack Peterson

[OnMyWay]

13 hours ago, scott h said:

I would caution that a buyer ALWAYS checks expiration dates. Takes a long time for products to reach the shelves sometimes.

Royal often has 50% off (or similar) on items with a month or so left.  I have bought several and they were all fine.

[OnMyWay]

On 10/23/2016 at 10:32 AM, mogo51 said:

Whilst in Subic Bay a few days ago, went to Royale Duty Free. It was more expensive than shopping at the local supermarket!  Yes wide range of goods but at very over inflated prices.

Did manage to buy some razor blades a few dollars cheaper than normal, that was it.  Liquor etc way over the local price.

I later found out that it refers to the 10% local tax only, all other taxes are still there.

I have lived in Subic Freeport for 3.5 years now and I still don't understand what is tax free and/or duty free.  I really don't care because the bottom line price is what matters.

I'm not sure which Royal you went to.  The "new" one has far less local products but that may change as it is undergoing a major expansion, only ~2 years after opening.  The "new" one is the one a block away from Harbor Point Mall on Manila Ave.

The old one is much larger right now and has a lot of local products.  We do most of our shopping there.  Yes, there are some outrageous prices for some items, but you can ignore those and still find deals on imported products.  What I like is that they carry some the U.S. supermarket brands like Sunny Select, which I think is Safeway.  I still like to eat cereal for breakfast sometimes and you might see a box of Post Raisan Bran for $6.50, converted to p that is ~p313, which I would never pay.  However, there are usually some Sunny Select cereals I like for half that.  And sometimes the brands like Post and Kellog will be 50% off when approaching expiry, but they are still fine.

We get busloads of Filipino tourists at these places.  They mostly flock to the imported chocolate, which is rarely a good deal.  They don't care as it is "imported"