Near gate T, Duty Free by Hudson is CMH’s stop for last-minute tax-free splurges.
This shop sits airside in Terminal T after security, so you can pop in on the way to the gates without padding your schedule much. It’s the only duty-free option at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, so if you need liquor, fragrances, or cosmetics without local tax, this is where you do it. Stock skews toward liquor, beauty, and a smaller wall of cigarettes and tobacco products.
Pricing follows standard duty-free patterns: full-size spirits often undercut downtown Ohio prices by a noticeable margin, especially on 1L bottles from big brands like Johnnie Walker or Grey Goose. Expect common fragrance counters with testers out and mid-tier cosmetics brands at roughly 10–20% under typical US retail, depending on promos. Selection is tighter than big-hub airports, so don’t bank on rare single malts or niche perfume houses.
Hours roughly track CMH’s main bank of departures, opening early morning for the 5–6 a.m. flights and usually staying open until the final evening wave around 9–10 p.m. If you land on one of the last flights from hubs like ORD or ATL after 10 p.m., assume the shutters may already be down. Staff handle both duty-free and regular sales, so US domestic passengers can still buy; only international passengers get the tax break.
Final tip: check your itinerary before you pay. Duty-free eligibility hinges on an international segment on the same ticket, so have your boarding pass for that flight ready at the counter to keep the line moving and avoid repacking anything that doesn’t qualify.