London Cashes In on French Burka Ban
Middle Eastern shoppers appear to be taking their burkas—and their bucks—to London.
The British capital is enjoying a shopping boom in what appears to be backlash against Paris in the wake of a newly instituted French law that fines women who wear burkas, Muslim veils that cover the face, the Independent reports.
Billed as "more welcoming" to Middle Eastern visitors, London may be knocking Paris off its perch as the fashion capital thanks to new data that shows a 45-percent increase in international shoppers at high-end department store Liberty over the past year.
Selfridges, meanwhile, saw a 40-percent spike in foreign business, and the entire West End area is expected to jump 15 percent.
"Purchases from overseas shoppers represent a significant, growing proportion of Harrods sales," a Harrods spokesperson tells the British paper. "The fine jewelry, accessories, beauty, and fragrance departments have seen the most notable impact."
The overseas shoppers could be a goldmine for U.K. retailers, as data shows that Middle Easterners spend an average of £1,800 (around $2,932 U.S.) per shopping trip, compared to the £120 ($195 U.S.) spent by British shoppers.
What's more, sales during the peak pre-Ramadan buying period of the last two weeks of July are expected to reach £200 million (around $325.7 million U.S.).
While a Liberty spokeswoman credits 2012 Olympics buzz and weaker pound for drawing tourists from the Middle East and China, others point to fallout from the burka ban.
"When I was in the region in April, it was clear from feedback from the travel trade that what had happened in Paris was having an effect," Jace Tyrell, director of the New West End Company, says. "London is seen as welcoming, friendly, and accommodating."
"There is some kind of backlash against the [burka] ban; people are more comfortable with London," adds Neil Cook, managing editor of the Gulf Times. "Also, many people who would go to Beirut, Syria, and other north African destinations are not choosing to travel there at the moment [because of recent unrest]."
