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Chinese visitors flock to Manchester and spend big

Growth in sales from Chinese shoppers has surged at double the rate of London, according to the latest analysis from Premier Tax Free which helps overseas visitors claim back VAT on retail purchases.

In October sales in Manchester soared by 236 per cent year on year compared with a UK average of 73 per cent and 103 per cent growth in London. Top purchases were watches and jewellery.

The boom can be explained by the post-Brexit weaker pound and Chinese visitors coming to Manchester for the Golden Week holiday. New direct flights from China to Manchester have also played a part. Hainan Airlines began operating four weekly flights to Beijing in June and Cathay Pacific flies four times weekly to Hong Kong from Manchester.

Bumper sales from China are set to continue with a 57 per cent increase in sales forecast for January thanks to visitors for Chinese New Year.

Patrick Waldron, CEO of Premier Tax Free, said, “The falling value of the pound is proving to be a significant draw for Chinese visitors. Manchester is particularly popular right now, thanks to new direct flights to Beijing that are making the city more accessible than ever before. This is a growing trend that we expect to continue well into the New Year.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Premier Tax Free .