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I agree with you — I've never bought anything other than food at an airport — but the shops wouldn't be there if they didn't make money.

I remember reading a book a while back that mentioned that the luxury shops in airports don't make any money and don't expect to make sales. They're there to make you see Armani handbags for $2500 and think 'Wow, Armani must be a really luxury brand to have $2500 handbags on sale!'.

This then makes you more likely to later buy an Armani t-shirt for $80.

The store in the airport is there to make you think the brand is glamorous, to convince you of its mystique, not to sell things.

That sounds unlikely. Those are expensive locations.

Last minute souvenirs

Souvenir iPad?

A lot of people are remarkably stupid when on vacation.

Or, there's the "crap, I left my tablet at home" customer.

Those are all impulse buys. Where I am tech is normally cheaper than retail. If you are so disciplined you won't be buying these things at all.