European designer outlet chain McArthurGlen says it has seen “a huge surge” in sales to international shoppers looking for coveted names in luxury and designer fashion.

The chain of 20 designer outlet centres promotes year-round savings of 30 to 70 per cent. It says sales to international shoppers leapt by 62 per cent in the first four months of 2012. This followed an increase of more than 60 per cent in 2011, compared with the previous year, according to figures from tax-refund specialist Global Blue.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlets are located near key tourist cities and gateways in eight European countries – Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. They are designed as destinations, offering an day out for fashion shoppers, with a selection of cafes and restaurants and a full calendar of events and activities.

In the first three months of 2012, sales to shoppers from China increased by 116 per cent, to make Chinese tourists the second biggest spenders by country of origin after shoppers from the Russian Federation. In fact, Asian shoppers were among those showing the biggest increases in spending: sales to shoppers from Singapore were up 156 per cent, from Indonesia up 148 per cent, from Malaysia 113 per cent, from Korea 58 per cent and from Japan 40 per cent.

“McArthurGlen Designer Outlets have a huge appeal to international shoppers, especially to those from Asia, given the Asian love for luxury and premium brands and shopping,” says Anthony Rippingale, McArthurGlen’s head of tourism.

There are more than 2600 brands at McArthurGlen’s Designer Outlets, including the likes of Armani, Brioni, Burberry, Escada, Fendi, Fratelli Rossetti, Jil Sander, La Perla, Marni, Prada, Salvatore Ferragamo, Sergio Rossi, Valentino and Versace in the Italy outlets alone. The brands manage their own stores, to give a truly authentic experience. The collections are from previous seasons, but shoppers will always find something on trend.

McArthurGlen’s 21st centre, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Neumünster, is due to open near Hamburg, Germany in September, with a further four in planning – in Vancouver (McArthurGlen’s first centre outside Europe), Vernon near Paris and Provence in the south of France, and Ghent (Belgium).

Earlier in 2012, McArthurGlen signed an agreement with Grebstad Hicks Communications to open a representative office in China, as well as with PRCo Ltd. in the UAE, Russia and Brazil.

Rippingale says of the new Chinese representation: “The Chinese market in particular is a very interesting market for us, given the huge increase that we are seeing in sales to Chinese shoppers visiting Europe, with shopping for luxury and premium brands being an activity at the top of their must-do, must-visit lists. What we want to do is to ensure that we put a visit to McArthurGlen’s Designer Outlets, whether in Italy, or any of the seven other countries where we have centers, on their itinerary before they leave home.”