Global Blue news and archive

Resale tech solution Reflaunt secures 11 million US dollars in funding

Reflaunt, the resale technology solution used by Balenciaga and Net-A-Porter, has secured 11 million US dollars in a Series A funding round to accelerate the circular growth of the fashion industry. The funding round was led by Shanghai-based Ventech China, Global Blue and Bombyx Growth Fund, along with participation from early investors...

BusinessFeaturedMember

UK high streets falling behind European rivals, study shows

The UK high street is falling behind its European rivals following the government’s scrapping of tax-free shopping at the beginning of last year. That’s according to data from tax-free shopping refund agency Global Blue, which compared the spending of GCC shoppers in the EU in 2019 with levels in 2021. It found that 20 percent of those shopping...

RetailFeatured

Walpole and Global Blue share implications of tax free shopping restrictions

Since January 1st tax-free shopping in the UK is no longer a lure for high net worth travellers with a passion for shopping. Luxury brands and retailers, despite lobbying the government with the support of many notable UK businesses and leading industry voices, have not been successful to reverse the decision which sees international customers...

Retail

World’s wealthiest shoppers spend average of 35,000 euros in UK stores

The world’s wealthiest shoppers - also known as ‘elite shoppers’ - are spending an average of 35,000 euros in UK stores, the highest average spend of all European countries, new research reveals. Those same shoppers are spending an average of 55,000 euros during an average of three international trips per year and across 12 different...

Retail

Chinese New Year growth in UK expected to slow

Chinese New Year is no longer the biggest spend period for Chinese shoppers, according to new research. Over the next 90 days, Chinese shoppers are expected to spend 15 percent less compared to the previous period which included Golden Week and Christmas, according to Global Blue. During Golden Week in October, Chinese shoppers comprised 30...

RetailMember

US and Russian shoppers to “boost” Christmas spend

International shoppers from the US and Russia will give the UK economy a “boost” in the run-up to Christmas, according to new research. Tourism shopping tax-refund company Global Blue is predicting that over the next 90 days that there will be a 14 percent increase in tax-free transactions from American shoppers and a 7 percent increase from...

Retail

International shopper spend 'booms' in August

International shoppers from Thailand and Qatar 'significantly’ increased their spending per transaction in the UK in August compared to the same time last year. The figures, from tax-free shopping expert Global Blue, found that shoppers visiting the UK from Thailand, an emerging market, spent an average of 1,131 pounds per transaction, up 43...

Retail

'The Meghan effect': UK sees jump in US shopper spend in March

The number of US shoppers visiting the UK rose by 30 percent in March compared to last year, with Americans now accounting for as much as seven percent of the total tax free sales in the UK, new research shows. The latest insight from Global Blue revealed that the UK now captures 24 percent of all the US tax-free shopping spend globally, with...