McArthurGlen opens new designer outlet in West Midlands

Outlet group McArthurGlen has opened the doors of a new shopping destination in the West Midlands, near Birmingham.

The 160 million pound outlet is home to 80 international brands including Coach, Kate Spade, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Reiss, Kurt Geiger, Gant, Radley, Joules, Nike, Adidas, Asics and Skechers.

The shopping destination, located about 30 minutes from Birmingham, spans 285,000 square feet and is expected to create 1,000 new retail jobs, supporting around 20 million pounds of employment income each year.

The new outlet marks McArthurGlen’s first UK opening in over 20 years. The group now has 26 outlets across the world and seven in the UK, in Ashford, Bridgend, Cheshire Oaks, East Midlands, Swindon and York.

The outlet is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, Aviva Investors and the Richardson family.

Designer Outlet West Midlands opens its doors

“This opening represents not only a huge milestone for McArthurGlen as we continue to grow our European footprint, but a defining moment for brick-and-mortar retail as the only stand-alone shopping centre to open in the UK this year,” said McArthurGlen co-CEO Susie McCabe in a statement.

The launch of the new outlet comes as non-essential retailers in England and Wales are permitted to reopen on Monday following months of store closures.

McCabe continued: “As we emerge into a new consumer landscape, we know customers still crave the extraordinary day-out shopping experiences and moments of magic that only physical retail can offer, and we remain extremely confident that West Midlands will deliver this.”

McArthurGlen added that it built the new outlet with sustainability in mind. The destination features around 400 newly planted trees, along with solar panels, on-site beehives, a wormery, electric car charging points and bicycle parking.

“Designer Outlet West Midlands is an exceptional addition to Britain’s retail landscape and arrives at a time when the outlet sector continues to outperform the wider retail market,” commented Darren Freed, a director at Aviva Investors.

“Investing in high-quality designer outlets is in line with our core strategic objectives, so we’re looking forward to continuing to work closely with McArthurGlen to drive the performance of the centre and see it become one of the UK’s leading retail assets,” he said.

Image: McArthurGlen