McArthurGlen Ashford Designer Outlet set to expand

Ashford Designer Outlet, one of six McArthurGlen outlets in the UK,

is set to double in size with the opening of a new luxury and premium shopping area.

The designer outlet, which opened in 2000, is set to add a further 175,000 square foot of retail space, of which 75,000 square foot will house a new luxury quarter, which will open by the end of 2016.

Gary Bond, McArthurGlen’s managing director, development, said: “Ashford is already home to some of the most sought-after premium and designer brands in the UK. What we are seeing, given the good communication links with London, as well as with Continental Europe and the coast, and the emergence of London as a global shopping destination, is the rising demand for more luxury and premium brands.

“With the planned expansion of Ashford, we will be creating the next generation of designer outlets, taking the customer experience to a new level, and bringing in exciting new luxury and premium brands to tap into this demand.”

The new expansion will add an additional 80 stores, bringing the total to 165, which will make it one of the largest designer outlets in the UK. McArthurGlen is expecting to make a planning application in early 2014, with works to start late 2014, and the opening of the new luxury quarter for the end of 2016.

Bond added: “We have received tremendous support from the local authority of Ashford, who fully understands how the expansion of the centre will not only create jobs, but also further establish Ashford Designer Outlet as a shopping destination, which in turn benefits the local economy, especially the tourism sector.”