Tax free initiative at Clarks Village
Published: 11 May, 2011
Clarks Village outlet centre is helping to pull cash-rich Chinese tourists into the West after becoming an official tax-free shopping haven.
The initiative, which has been developed for the Somerset area to attract more foreign visitors to the region, will offer all non-EU residents the chance of getting a minimum of 14 per cent tax refunded when they shop at Clarks Village.
The plan is to use Clarks Village as the blueprint for Somerset tax-free shopping, rolling the initiative out across other towns in the county as part of a wider programme spearheaded by the Somerset Tourist Association (STA).
John Turner, deputy centre manager at Clarks Village and director at the STA is the man behind the initiative. He said: "With the economic winds behind us and with the UK being seen as a more affordable getaway for foreign visitors, this initiative will only add to the incentive to visit our beautiful county. Once the project has successfully established itself at Clarks Village we will be working to encourage other market towns to get involved."
The shopping village, which is home to more than 90 big-brand stores, welcomes 4.1 million people per year, many of whom are visitors from overseas.
The new tax-free savings have been made reality following stores within Clarks Village joining Global Blue, a market leader in tax-free shopping. Clarks Village will be marketed across the world on different international websites including the Global Blue and China Holidays sites.
