McArthurGlen extend designer outlets across Europe
Published: 19 October, 2010
McArthurGlen is on track to open its 20th European designer outlet village in Athens next year, following on from the opening earlier this year of La Reggia Designer Outlet near Naples.
The Athens Designer Outlet, with around 125 stores, including cafes and restaurants, will be the first designer outlet village in Greece, offering top luxury, designer and high-street fashion brands at all-year discounts of up to 70 per cent.
McArthurGlen will open more than 100,000 sq m of new retail space across Europe in 2011 and 2012, having opened more than 40,000 sq m in 2010.
Gary Bond, CEO of European development at McArthurGlen, said: “We see great potential for additional well-designed, well-thought out and well-located outlet centres in Western Europe. We are looking to open further new schemes across the region, with a particular focus on Germany, southern France and southern Spain.
“Brands are discovering how outlet retailing with the right partner provides them with a profitable way of selling excess stock while retaining their brand identity. At the same time, year-on-year double-digit sales growth at our centres shows how consumers are voting with their purses and wallets for not only buying top brands at discounts of 35-70 per cent, but also for the personal experience of a great shopping environment.”
After the opening of the Athens Designer Outlet in 2011 comes the opening of a designer outlet in Neumünster, near Hamburg in 2012.
The Neumünster designer outlet, with leasing well underway, is McArthurGlen’s second scheme in Germany. A third phase offering 6,000 sq m of retail space will open in 2013.
In addition, McArthurGlen will open its refurbished Luxembourg Designer Outlet, a joint development with Henderson Global Investors, in 2011, as well as extensions to five existing schemes at La Reggia (Naples), Veneto (Venice), Roermond (Düsseldorf), Parndorf (Vienna) and Barberino (Florence), and the conversion of the food court at its Cheshire Oaks Designer Outlet (Chester, UK). The following year, 2012, will see extensions at Castel Romano (Rome) and Swindon (UK).
