Global Refund Index September results: exclusive to travelretailworld.com

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The table below shows travel shopping trends for the ten major nationalities in the countries of the Global Refund system: consisting of most European countries, South Korea, Singapore and Argentina.

This month records a healthy set of growth figures for travel retail spending across all nationalities. Shopping by Japanese travellers held steady at 19% of all sales in store (SIS) under the tax refund system. Although Japanese remain the most important nationality, growth in sales is no more than average, but nevertheless still showing healthy growth of 20% over 1999.

US traveller sales continued their very high growth at 44% for the year to date compared to 1999 with growth going even higher in September. Other nationalities showing high growth in travel retail purchases were Romanians (up 195% in September compared to September 1999), Croatians (up 93%), Russians and other East European nationalities. Meanwhile travel retail sales to Asian visitors continued their healthy recovery. Hong Kong visitor spending rose 37% in September year-on-year, showing a further acceleration of sales development. All consumer nationalities showed very positive double-digit growth for year 2000 to date, apart from only one case Indonesian shoppers, where the growth rate slowed in September.

For more information about the Global Refund tax reclaim service for retailers and the methodology of the GR Index see the feature 'Introducing the Global Refund Index'.