‘Tourists want to spend’: shoppers in London share views on the mini-budget

Selfridge’s on Oxford Street announcing ‘Let’s Change The Way We Shop’ on the day the chancellor announced extensive tax cuts. Photograph: Antonio Zazueta Olmos/The Guardian

As shoppers descended on Oxford Street in London, in black cabs or on foot to visit the city’s high-end shops on Friday, a massive sign affixed to Selfridges towered overhead: “Let’s change the way we shop.”

The change, however, may be somewhat different than intended. Soon, the area could be beneficiary of two plans announced by the chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, on Friday: the return of duty-free shopping to the high street and the scrapping of the 45% income tax band.