McArthurGlen opens Designer Outlet West Midlands

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Apr 12, 2021

April 12 sees the opening of McArthurGlen’s latest outlet centre with the debut of the £160 million McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West Midlands development. The company said it’s set to be the only standalone shopping centre to open in the UK this year.

It’s the group’s first UK opening in more than two decades and comes at a particularly momentous time for UK retail with shops in England reopening this week after the third national lockdown.  

The centre is McArthurGlen’s seventh British designer outlet — the others are Ashford, Bridgend, Cheshire Oaks, East Midlands, Swindon and York — and its 26th across Europe and in Canada.

The company said it’s “a huge milestone” and it expects customers to “still crave the extraordinary day-out shopping experiences and moments of magic that only physical retail can offer”.

The centre is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, Aviva Investors and the Richardson family. It covers 285,000 square feet in total over two phases and will create 1,000 new retail jobs, “supporting around £20 million of employment income each year”.

It’s just 30 minutes from Birmingham and features up to 80 brands in its first phase. They’re offering discounts of up to 60%. Big names include Coach, Kate Spade, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Reiss, Kurt Geiger, Gant, Radley and Joules.

There’s a major sportswear and athleisure focus too with Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Asics and Skechers. And there’s an extensive dining offer, although at the moment, restaurants and bars are only able to open for outdoor dining until May 17.

Additional attractions to increase dwell time for shoppers include “a one-of-a-kind children’s adventure playground adjacent to the nature reserve, luxury guest amenities, a dancing fountain, a bespoke sculpture and a Changing Places facility”.

It also has plenty to help reduce its impact on the environment, with around 400 newly planted trees, along with solar panels, on-site beehives, a wormery, electric car charging points and bicycle parking, plus that nature reserve.

For those who want to get there by car, the company has made a £15 million contribution to a highway improvements programme that has enhanced the nearby road network.