NO HOLIDAY is complete without a shopping experience, and London offers a colourful and exciting spectrum of shopping opportunities to make a vacation extra memorable. TTN takes a look at some of the choicest options in the “City of 2012”.
Just one hour from Central London, in historic Oxfordshire, Bicester Village offers more than 130 designer boutiques, with 60 per cent off previous seasons’ collections. For the discerning Middle East customer, Bicester Village, one of the nine Chic Outlet Shopping Villages in Europe, is offering executive transfers from the hotel in 10-seater luxury coaches, as well as special bus and train services.
Mideast shoppers may also indulge in “tailor-made” VIP lounges at the Village offering refreshments as well as halal food.
The leading shopping concept is already seeing an increase of 57 per cent in its non-European tourism business, and according to Helen Peters, senior tourism manager, the company is expecting 900 million customers globally this year.
Shoppers can also avail an extra 10 per cent discount by registering for the VIP Day Card. Non-European Union residents can also claim tax back on all purchases they take home by filling up a tax refund form at the time of purchase.
Bicester Village is now offering customers the chance to book a getaway incorporating a shopping trip to the Village with a visit to some of the region’s outstanding attractions as World Heritage site Blenheim Palace and Waddesdon Manor.
The Burlington Arcade, represented by top tourism marketing agency Noblesque, is England’s oldest shopping arcade (open since 1819), and offers some of best British luxury shopping. Housing over 40 specialist shops and designer brands including Lulu Guinness and Jimmy Choo’s only UK menswear store, shoppers will find gemstones, vintage watches, bespoke footwear and the finest leather and cashmere accessories.
Located in the heart of Mayfair, the Arcade has long been favoured by Royalty, celebrities and the cream of British society. Visitors who are non-EU members can claim back a percentage of their tax through stores working with tax refund companies. There’s also a Burlington VIP Card offering special discounts.
Pickets is another brand within Burlington Arcade popular with Middle East tourists because of its wide range of exotic skins for handbags. McArthurGlen, a European leader in designer outlets, saw a surge of 64 per cent to international travellers last year. The list of the 860 brands at McArthurGlen’s Designer Outlets reads like an A-Z of the leading names in fashion and accessories, from Armani to Bulgari, Dolce & Gabbana to Gucci, Marni to Prada, and TAG Heuer to Versace.
This summer, the outlet will offer fashion apparel, accessories and home ware at 30 to 70 per cent savings.
Mideast travellers may expect VIP rooms, hands-free shopping, prayer rooms and play areas for children. The store also has in-house style consultants. Visitors from outside the EU can also enjoy tax-free shopping.
Selfridges, recently recognised for the second time as the Best Departmental Store in the World by the InterContinental Group of Departmental Stores, has been a top London destination for over a century.
Right beside the Olympic Park, you can find the Westfield Stratford City, the largest urban shopping and leisure mall in Europe with 250 shops and 70 places to dine.
“For the convenience of the Middle Eastern visitors who arrive after or during Ramadan, we have arranged longer opening hours until mid-September,” says Gwyn Davis, marketing manager – tourism, of Westfield, the official shopping centre of London 2012.
The mobility-challenged may book a free wheelchair or rent a scooter to explore the malls and restaurants. Like most of the top stores, Westfield also offers tax-free shopping to non-EU visitors.