Throughout February, the nine Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages in Europe will celebrate Chinese New Year in partnership with UnionPay International by offering guests the chance to share wishes across the world, along with exceptional offers for Chinese guests. Furthermore, the tenth Village by Value Retail, Suzhou Village – which opened in Suzhou, China, in May 2014 – is also hosting an exciting calendar of events, as it invites guests to be inspired and share unforgettable memories with family and friends ahead of the Year of the Ram.

A time for family, gift-giving, fireworks and festivities, Chinese New Year is celebrated by one in six people around the world. The festival is associated with the colour red and it is good luck to give and receive red packages during this time. Traditionally, those celebrating will cast red ribbons or tie wishes to a ‘Wishing Tree’, in the hope that their wish will come true and bring them good fortune in the coming year. The Villages in Europe each feature their own Wishing Tree for guests to cast their wishes for the coming year.

Chinese guests of the European Villages can register their details online at ChicOutletShopping.com to receive a special Chinese New Year red envelope, which they can collect from the Welcome or Tourist Information Centre on arrival at their chosen Village. The envelope will be bursting with exclusive offers for participating boutiques in the Village, in addition to UnionPay International ‘wish’ tag for guests to add their very own wish to the Wishing Tree. These wishes will not stop at the Villages – they will travel the world via social media, as guests are invited to share their wishes and Wishing Tree photos with a dedicated hashtag for each Village.

The Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages welcome thousands of Chinese guests every year, who are drawn to the Villages’ distinctive selection of brands, authentically European ambience, and exceptional value. In 2014, China accounted for 44% of all tax-refunded (non-EU) sales in the Villages across Europe, with an increase in sales of 29% year on year.* UnionPay International is now accepted at many boutiques in the Villages across Europe, making transactions easier than ever for international guests.

Suzhou Village in China is also helping make some of its visitors’ wishes come true with a lucky draw held in partnership with Suzhou TV. Guests will be invited to submit their wishes for the Year of the Ram while visiting the Village, and stay tuned for a film crew from the channel surprising them on their doorstep!  Each week, one lucky winner will receive 5,000 RMB and 50 runners up will receive 500 RMB to help make their dreams come true. 

With more than 1,000 boutiques of international fashion and luxury brands across the Collection of ten Villages – all offering savings of up to 60%, and sometimes more, on the recommended retail price – a programme of must-see entertainment, and a superior suite of services for the ultimate luxury shopping experience, the Villages are the perfect destinations in which to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Notes for Editors

*Source: tax refunded data from Global Blue, Premier Tax Free, Fexco and Tax Free Worldwide

About Chic Outlet Shopping®

Chic Outlet Shopping® is a unique concept in outlet shopping created by Value Retail, the only company to specialise exclusively in the development and operation of luxury outlet shopping destinations, the Collection of Chic Outlet Shopping® Villages. The Villages are home to leading luxury fashion and lifestyle brands offering savings of up to 60%, and sometimes more, on the recommended retail price, all year round. Within easy reach of some of Europe’s favourite gateway cities – London, Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Bologna, Brussels, Antwerp, Cologne, Frankfurt, Munich and, in China, Suzhou – the Villages are defined by high fashion, superior service and hospitality, a calendar of celebrated events, and exceptional value for money. Located in regions of cultural and historic renown, the Villages have become international tourist destinations in their own right. Value Retail's venture – Value Retail China – to bring its distinctive Chic Outlet Shopping® concept to China saw the first Village – Suzhou Village, located in historic Suzhou, 50 miles west of Shanghai – open in May 2014. The second Village by Value Retail China, Shanghai Village, will be located in the Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone (SITRZ), which includes the Shanghai Disney Resort, and will open in the autumn of 2015. As with other members of the Chic Outlet Shopping® Collection of Villages, Suzhou Village and Shanghai Village will be defined by their offer of international luxury fashion and lifestyle brands, together with an exceptional level of service, and will be the most important shopping tourism destinations in Asia.

About UnionPay International

UnionPay International (UPI) is a subsidiary of China UnionPay focused on the growth and support of UnionPay’s global business. In partnership with more than 300 institutions worldwide, UnionPay International has enabled card acceptance in 148 countries and regions outside the Chinese mainland with issuance in more than 30 countries and regions. UnionPay International provides high quality, cost effective and secure cross-border payment services to the world’s largest cardholder base and ensures convenient local services to a growing number of global UnionPay cardholders and merchants.

For more information about UnionPay International, please visit: www.unionpayintl.com/en