Mulberry feels the chill of recession as boss calls for VAT-free shopping to boost tourist sales November 30, 2022 High-end accessories retailer Mulberry is beginning to feel the effects of the cost of living crisis and recession in the UK, with sales and revenue slipping over the past six months. Sales at its London stores on Bond St and Regent St have been hit hard by affluent tourists from the US and the Arab [...]
Shaftesbury back in the black as West End landlord sees ‘rapid rebound’ in shopping destination November 29, 2022 West End landlord Shaftesbury has swung back to profit as the capital’s retail heartland bounced back from Covid-19 disruption this year. The landlord, which is set to merge with neighbouring property giant Capital and Counties next year, shared a £119.1m profit after tax in full-year results. This was a strong come-back for the Carnaby, Seven [...]
Chancellor ‘misses a trick’ by not re-introducing tax-free shopping for overseas tourists November 17, 2022 West End business leaders have slammed the Chancellor for not changing his mind on an introduction of VAT free shopping for overseas tourists. Despite calls from luxury retailers this month, Jeremy Hunt made no mention of the prospect of introducing tax-free shopping for overseas visitors making trips to London’s shopping heartlands. Last month, Hunt announced [...]
Businesses call on Chancellor to boost regional growth by investing in tourism November 14, 2022 Businesses have called on Chancellor Jeremy Hunt to boost regional growth by investing in travel and tourism. Advocacy group BusinessLDN has called for the reintroduction of VAT-free shopping for international arrivals, as well as ramping up Border Force personnel to speed up queues at airports and ease visa processes for low-risk visitors such as children. [...]
MPs call on Jeremy Hunt to introduce duty-free shopping at UK terminals October 27, 2022 MPs have called on the Chancellor to introduce duty-free shopping for arriving passengers at UK terminals. The All-Party Parliamentary Group for the Future of Aviation wrote yesterday to Jeremy Hunt asking him to introduce VAT-free shopping at British airports, international rail and ferry terminals “to help our sector flourish and recover” from the impact of [...]
Businesses’ ask for the next budget? Make a decision and stick with it, for all our sakes October 26, 2022 Taxes will have to go up and spending down – to the tune of some £40bn on top of what has already been announced by the Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt.
MPs slam ‘short-sighted and incredibly damaging’ tax-free shopping u-turn October 24, 2022 Cross-party MPs have warned that a u-turn on tax-free shopping for overseas tourists is “short-sighted and incredibly damaging” as the tourism sector hopes to recover post-Covid. In a new report, the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee said Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s u-turn was hindering the sector. The committee said it felt the government was [...]
Sadiq Khan: Tax “confusion” could hit London’s investment appeal October 19, 2022 SADIQ KHAN has warned that instability at the top of British politics could hit London’s status as a desirable investment destination. Investors are “not sure that the stability and certainty that existed in London will be there going forward,” the Mayor of London told City A.M. yesterday. “Instability is good for no-one,” he added. A [...]
Khan: Tourist tax-free shopping u-turn bad for London’s businesses October 18, 2022 Sadiq Khan has slammed the government’s decision to u-turn on a plan to give tourists tax-free shopping. The Mayor of London said he “absolutely” shared the concerns of West End businesses, who have expressed disappointment that the capital will lag behind other cities’ in efforts to welcome high-spending foreign visitors. “VAT-free shopping for international tourists [...]
VAT free shopping U-turn ‘major blow’ for West End as tourists shun London for Paris and Milan October 17, 2022 Scrapping VAT free shopping for tourists is a “major blow” for London and the country’s economy, a group representing luxury stores in the West End and other retail hotspots has said. Paul Barnes, chief executive of the Association of International Retail (AIR) – whose members range from Bicester Village to Heathrow Airport – told CityA.M. the [...]