Manchester winning Chinese tourist spend

Visitors from China spent 29% more on tax-free shopping in Manchester stores during 2013 compared to the previous year, with an average transaction spend of £677, it was revealed by Global Blue at  a China Retail Seminar last night, organised by Marketing Manchester, the Manchester China Forum and the Heart of Manchester BID. 

Kuwait and Thailand were identified as offering huge potential in terms of retail spend in the city with retail sales increasing by 70% and 73% respectively in 2013, compared to the previous year. 

This significant growth is made even more impressive when compared against the UK’s average growth in spend by visitors from Kuwait (34%) and Thailand (46%).

Additional figures sourced by the Heart of Manchester BID, which represents over 380 city centre retailers, revealed that half of Selfridge’s tax free sales at its Exchange Square store are generated by Chinese customers. 

Women’s accessories are the most popular type of tax-free purchase and according to Harvey Nichols, brands favoured by international shoppers include Givenchy, Kenzo, Balenciaga, Shiseido, Sisley and Kilian.

Jane Sharrocks, Heart of Manchester BID chair and general manager at Selfridges Exchange Square, said: “International shoppers offer a big opportunity for our retailers and outside of London’s Luxury Quarter, Manchester city centre is home to more luxury brands than anywhere else in the UK.”

She added: “In addition to our luxury retail offer, the city’s wider cultural offering, excellent transport links, leading world-class higher education institutions and the city’s two football teams will no doubt have contributed to this fantastic growth.”

Gordon Clark, UK Country Manager at Global Blue said Manchester is one of the top destinations for international visitors coming to the UK, creating a huge opportunity for retailers. 

He added: “To maximise the potential of this market, retailers should introduce tax free shopping facilities to encourage higher spend and accommodate these shoppers by introducing multilingual staff and marketing materials, offering China Union Pay acceptance and aiding staff with cultural sales training to cater to specific shopper needs.”