Raising the average spend (through the roof)

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Martin Moodie

Martin Moodie is the Founder & Chairman of The Moodie Report.

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Emirates ‘flying Scotsman’ Duty Free Manager John Sime reckons the global average spend per transaction inflight is around US$75-100.

With business currently up by +33% year-on-year, Emirates is pretty adept at raising the average ticket price. But neither John Sime nor anyone in the history of the business has seen the likes of the spend made by one Michael Ezra Mulyoowa recently.

As documented on our home page, the Ugandan businessman spent US$250,000 on a Montblanc watch put up for auction by the Germany luxury goods house and Emiraes. All monies – including the cost of producing the one-of-one watch went to the EK Foundation, a fantasic Emirates-run charitable fund that helps underprivileged children all over the world.

The Moodie Report had the great pleasure of interviewing Mr Mulyoowa this week. A deeply religious man, he also has a taste for the finest things that money can buy. After visiting the Montblanc factory in Hamburg he headed on to Stuttgart to buy a Lamborghini. But every time he splashes out on himself – and it is often – he splashes out equally to charity, particularly those related to children.

I close the interview by asking that most intriguing of questions… “What did your wife say when you said you’d just spent US$250,000 on a watch?”

“She was calm, she is used to it” he laughs, “especially when the cause is noble.”