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The Retail Landscape

Jersey’s retail landscape offers everything from high-end to high street brands, independent retailers, and couture to pre-loved fashion.

There are also beautiful, traditional markets selling fresh local produce from fruit to seafood.

While there are niche shopping areas and local boutiques across the Island, there are no large out of town retail parks or shopping centres, so footfall is concentrated in the Island’s capital, St Helier.

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Safe retail environment

Jersey offers a safe retail environment with reported crime at half the level of the UK (39.2 per 1000)

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Higher spend 

Weekly spend on clothes and shoes is 43% higher than UK and Islanders spend 58% higher on household goods and services

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High household income

Household income is 51% higher than UK and net annual income is significantly higher than
mainland Europe

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7.5m ‘high street’
visits each year

4,000 visitors per hour to St Helier’s central
shopping area

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5% GST and no VAT

VAT is not charged on goods and services and Jersey’s Goods and Services Tax is 5%

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Tax refund scheme for visitors

On departure, visitors to Jersey can claim back the 5% GST paid on purchases

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Retail in St Helier

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Jersey’s capital, St Helier, is home to the Island’s primary retail area.

King Street and Queen Street make up the main ‘high street’ and, along with a number of smaller cross streets, are host to a lovely mix of well known brands, local Department stores and numerous independent boutiques and food and beverage offerings.

St Helier provides easy access with over 1000 shopper parking spaces and the central bus station within a 3 minute walk of the high street.

The ferry terminal, for both passengers and freight (daily from the UK and weekly from France), is situated just a short walk away from central St Helier.

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The Island’s population is swelled by over 500,000 visitors each year, with shopping their top-rated activity, and there are over 4000 visits to the central shopping area each hour. There is also a captive audience of Islanders, with 1/3 living in St Helier and more than 2/3 of the working population based in ‘town’.

Jersey’s urban growth is focused on St Helier with a number of significant public and private investment projects coming online within the next decade. This includes Government plans for the regeneration of the town centre, generational transformation of the harbours estate, development of the St Helier waterfront and further expansion of the International Finance Centre.

Jersey offers an excellent opportunity for retailers looking for a new location for growth.

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Tax in Jersey

Business Income Tax

The standard rate of business income tax in Jersey is 0%. The exceptions to this standard rate are:

  • Certain regulated financial service companies (as defined in the Income Tax Law) which are taxed at 10% (see Financial Services for more information)
  • Utility companies which are taxed at 20%
  • Retailers in Jersey (with retail turnover of £2m and above) where tax is charged:
  • at 0% where profits are less than £500
  • on a sliding scale from 0% to 20% where profits are between £500k and £750k
  • at 20% where profits exceed £750k.

The tax year is the calendar year (‘the year of assessment’). The basis upon which trading income is charged to tax is the accounting period ending in the year of assessment and all companies must file an annual tax return.

Goods and Services Tax (GST)

There is no VAT in Jersey, however there is a Goods and Services Tax (GST), which is at a much lower rate. GST is a tax on the sale of goods and services supplied in Jersey for local use including imports above £60.

There are 3 categories under GST, and all goods and services are placed into one of them:

  • standard-rated (5%).

Almost all goods and services provided in Jersey attract GST at the standard rate. This includes goods purchased online that are worth £60 or more, including freight and any VAT payable in the country of purchase.

  • zero-rated.

These are goods and services taxed at 0%. For example, exports of goods, housing, medical prescriptions and international services.

  • exempt.

These are goods and services that are not taxed for public policy reasons, or because they are difficult to tax accurately. For example, financial services, insurance, postal services, supplies by charities, and school fees.

GST is collected at each stage of production, manufacture, distribution and sale, where the supplier is registered for GST.

For full information on GST and Business Income tax please go to Tax and Contributions

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