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...

BusinessFeatured

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...

Retail

Korean shoppers favour the Europe over Japan

The ‘No Japan’ boycott is driving Korean shoppers to Europe, according to new research from Global Blue, with the UK seeing a 9 percent and 12 percent rise in tax free spend during the third and second quarters of 2019 respectively. This in contrast to Korean tax-free spend in Japan, which decreased by 40 percent in Q3, as South Korea has been...

Retail

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...

RetailFeatured

Middle East visitors to flock to UK shops this summer

Tax-free shopping expert Global Blue forecasts that there will be a “surge” in Middle Eastern shoppers visiting the UK over the summer months, with an expected rise of 16 percent in transactions from July to September. With approximately 37.8 million visitors throughout 2018, Global Blue’s forecast comes as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC)...

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...

Fashion Partner Content

Interview: Kimberly Urbaniak, Marketing Sales Manager at Global Blue

Career in fashion is an important issue on FashionUnited. With this interview series, we would like to show how versatile the industry is and introduce the professionals who work in fashion. Recently, we talked to Kimberly Urbaniak, the Marketing Sales Manager at Global Blue in charge of the new Luxury Mayfair VIP Lounge. A visit to the London...

Retail

Global Blue launch VIP lounge in London

Global Blue has extended its VIP Globe Shopping Lounge network with an opening in London on Albemarle Street in the heart of Mayfair, which is expected to attract more than 40,000 guests in its first year. The 2,580 square foot shopping lounge, offers a unique opportunity for retailers and brands to connect with high net worth individual (HNWI)...