VAT refund giant Global Blue picks banks to handle £3bn flotation

The VAT refund giant which pioneered the concept of tax-free shopping has picked advisers to steer it towards a flotation that will have major stock exchanges around the world scrambling to secure its listing.

Sky News has learnt that Global Blue, which is controlled by the investment funds Silver Lake and Partners Group, has lined up Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and Morgan Stanley to work on an initial public offering (IPO).

A flotation would be expected to value Global Blue at well over £3bn, although a precise valuation is unclear.

The company's owners want to take advantage of an explosion in demand from international shoppers for its services, which include tax-free retailing in more than 300,000 shops globally.