Almost five years on, I can still remember my reaction when I first read that the then Tory government was scrapping VAT-free shopping.
For a moment, I thought I was hallucinating.
During my 30 years at Ted Baker, latterly as Global Retail Director, the VAT-free scheme – which allowed non-UK tourists to reclaim 20 per cent on purchases made here – was a key driver of our business, not just in London but across the country.
Only in a parallel universe, I reasoned, would you deliberately scrap such a powerful incentive for visitors. Overnight in January 2021, this bizarre and counterproductive policy made
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