Driving Footfall - Value Retail News

Osprey London at York Designer Outlet
Plus:
FOCs at ICSC in Barcelona
Roses opens in Croatia
Plans in Spain, Norway, Turkey
COVER STORY
Driving
Footfall
What really matters
to outlet shoppers
Croatia’s
FIRST OuTLET
Expansions build GLA
Imparting the outlet message
and much more…

PAGE 12
STAFF
PETER ShARPE
ICSC ChaIrman
JAAP GILLIS
ICSC ChaIrman, EUrOPEan
advISOry bOard
MIChAEL P. KERChEVAL
ICSC PrESIdEnt and CEO
RuDOLPh E. MILIAN, SCSM, SCMD
ICSC SEnIOr vP
JAY STARR
ICSC SEnIOr vP
ICSC EuROPE
London, +44 20 7976 3100
icsc.europe@icsc.org
FLORIDA OFFICE
2519 n. mcmullen booth rd.
Suite 510-356
Clearwater, FL 33761
+1 727 781 7557
LINDA huMPhERS
Editor in Chief
lhumphers@icsc.org
RANDY GDOVIN
art director
rgdovin@icsc.org
SALLY STEPhENSON
Senior advertising Executive
+1 847 835 1617
Fax: +1 847 835 5196
sstephenson@icsc.org
KAREN KNOBELOCh
advertising Prod. mgr.
kknobeloch@icsc.org
International Outlet Journal is a publication for the
non-U.S. factory outlet industry. Copyright © 2008
PAGE 17
PAGE 20
CONTENTS
Vol. 5 No. 3 Summer 2009
InsIde
4 Driving Footfall: What Matters to Shoppers?
10 FOCs a Focal Point at ICSC Barcelona
11 Neinver’s Vicolungo Honored at ICSC
12 Roses Fashion Outlet Opens in Croatia
13 FOCs in Sofia, Gloucester on Opening Track
14 Plans in Scotland, Poland, Czech Republic, Dubai
15 Executive Appointments for MG, Norway
16 Easter Sales; New FOCs Planned
17 News Notes: Wolves, Earth Hour and More
18 Elle MacPherson’s First UK Outlet Store
19 Progress on Plans For German Market
20 Leasing News Around the Globe
21 Two Outlet Trade Groups Form
22 WTIM: Outlets’ Missing Message
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 3

COVEr STOrY
Driving Footfall:
What Really Matters?
Outlet centres work
hard to attract
shoppers, especially
those who’ll spend.
By LINDA huMPhERS
Editor in Chief
Consumers love outlet centres,
that’s a given, because they love the
brands, the pricing, the value, the
convenience, the free parking, the events,
the catering and the playgrounds. They
love it all. But there are questions.
Is there one part of the package that
matters more than anything else in terms
of increasing footfall, of getting shoppers
to make that hour-long drive? Can centre
events cause shoppers to view outlets
as cultural centres as well as shopping
meccas? Can everyday value pricing mean
more to consumers than high street and
department store sales? Can catering and
playgrounds assure shoppers that outlet
centres are family-friendly?
InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
What keeps consumers coming back
could be a combination of offerings, a culmination
of experience, an understanding
of today’s consumers’ needs and demands.
With these questions in mind, IOJ queried
outlet executives on what matters the
most to shoppers – the brands, the value
pricing or the leisure elements – or those
centre events. Here is what they said:
Julia Calabrese
CEO
mcarthurGlen
“The No. 1 footfall generator is clearly the
great mix of brands plus the discounts, so today
more than ever, the combination of value
and brand mix is the most important factor.
“Europeans shop as families – our Castel
Romano near Rome is especially family-oriented
– so we make an effort to tie in cultural
and educational events with outlet shopping.
“Last year we sent a life-sized bronze
elephant sculpture, standing 15 feet tall, 22
feet long and weighing six tons, on Hannibal’s
journey across the Alps, stopping along
the way at our centres in Swindon, Ashford,
Roermond and Troyes before stopping at
Castel Romano.
The uK’s tallest Christmas tree at
Cheshire Oaks last year helped to infuse
shoppers with holiday spirit.
“This summer, Stan the Dinosaur will
come to Castel Romano to delight our
customers. He is the size and form of one
of the largest T-Rexes ever found – 12 metres
long and four metres high. Leading up to his
(Continued on page 6)
Completely full parking lots such as this one at Franciacorta Outlet Village in Italy are among the happiest sights that landlords and
tenants can behold.

COVEr STOrY
(Continued from page 4)
arrival we’ll have archaeological sites going
up in the centre to give the idea that Stan was
found there, and robotic T-Rexes wandering
around downtown Rome with flyers and
give-aways distributed from Segways.
“What’s different about our events is the
quality. We try to come up with something
that the centre becomes known for, and
then we build and build and build on that.
“We have a chocolate festival that grows
and grows every year. We had the X-Factor
show that brought 38,000 people. At
Serravalle, we’ve been doing an annual 10day
jazz festival every August that attracts
over 400,000 people. At Cheshire Oaks
we brought in the tallest Christmas tree in
the UK – it was 100-feet tall – to replicate
the experience of a Rockefeller Center at
Christmas, with ice skating, roasted chestnuts,
music and decorations.
“We know that 74 percent of the
world’s consumers are recreational
shoppers, so this tells us that people are
shopping more for entertainment than for
necessity. Connecting emotionally with
the consumer, keeping them at the center,
making them happy, encouraging them to
come back and getting them thinking of
the centre as the place they want to be is
the entire aim of our events.
“And yes, sales definitely increase with
these promotions. Our elephant increased
sales by 11 percent.”
Graeme ellisdon
managing Director
Osprey London
“I fervently believe outlet centres are
the new high street. I don’t think it’s too
extreme to say that the high street in many
UK towns is dying but the high street’s loss
is most definitely outlet retailing’s gain.
“Having launched Osprey London at
McArthurGlen’s York Designer Outlet
last autumn, it’s no surprise to me that the
centre is ranked as the UK’s 6th shopping
destination across all retail sectors [by
VenueScore].
“As a retailer, one of the primary attractions
of outlet centres is that footfall is
a given. On the high street – and even in
the UK’s upmarket malls – retailers have
to generate their own footfall and that’s a
huge marketing cost.
“But while you can control your own
retail environment, you can’t control the
context in which your unit sits. Having
seen many of our high streets on a
Saturday morning, they are not particularly
InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
Some centre events, such as the Serravalle Jazz Festival, become so successful on their
own that they become cultural attractions for the market.
pleasant places to be. The rubbish from
the previous night’s revelers is strewn
across pavements. Parking is difficult and
expensive. And where once a retail unit
might have had a good adjacency, chances
are the street has empty units and too
many charity shops.
“Outlet centres make it so easy for the
customer to shop. Parking is free and plentiful.
The centres are clean, landscaped and
often undercover. Children’s play areas are
smart and safe and the food courts are appealing.
The lure of the discount is certainly
what gets the customer there in the first
place and now it’s fashionable to be thrifty.
“When outlet centres offer the right mix
of product at the right price and communicate
that offer in an attention-grabbing
way, repeat visits are ensured.”
The combination of brands and discounts
drives most outlet footfall, as seen
here at Fashion House Sosnowiec.
Kristofer Jürgensen
Global retail
Expansion manager
Puma aG
“My personal belief is that the brand
mix and the location of the outlet centre
are the most important factors for guaranteeing
footfall. Although marketing campaigns
and special events can, of course,
drive footfall, they most likely do so only
for a limited period of time, especially
given that you cannot pay for permanent
marketing campaigns.
“In light of rising fuel prices, despite the
recent drop from last year to this year so
far, locations closer to city centres will more
likely attract a high number of consumers.
“Location paired with the right brands
will guarantee footfall. Spending enormous
amounts of tenant money on centre
architecture, management and services, as
well as sometimes questionable marketing
campaigns, will not be to the outlet
retailer’s benefit.”
Frank Blanchette
Group retail &
marketing Director
value retail
“I can’t point to a single event or a single
ad campaign that has led to our success.
When it comes down to it, the authenticity
of the offer is what continues to drive
footfall and sales. That’s more important
today than ever.
“In most of our villages we’re experiencing
double-digit growth in footfall and sales,
and even in Spain and Ireland, where department
stores are off by 30 to 40 points, we’re
(Continued on page 8)

COVEr STOrY
(Continued from page 6)
showing increases in the high single digits.
“There isn’t any specific marketing
activity that is driving those increases.
Our footfall is the sum total of years
of constantly improving the quality of
our shopper through merchandising
and through creating a better and better
shopping experience. It’s a cumulative,
on-going, long-term process.”
Iestyn roberts
Chief Executive
Freeport
“Our footfall is holding up pretty well in
all our centres, but there are some indications
that customers are unwilling to drive
far. Still, our customers are responding to
special promotions and events. If anything,
the lifestyle elements, such as cinemas
and restaurants, are just a hygiene factor.
Customers are on a mission to find value,
and the core proposition of great brands at
great prices is the basic motivation.”
Colin Brooks
managing Director
rEaLm
“One thing driving footfall is the
rediscovery element. Outlet centres have
generally been improving their image and
presenting themselves as every bit as viable
a shopping choice as destinations in the
full-price sector. They have become more
respectable to higher demographic groups,
so higher-spending footfall has been generated,
offsetting any drop in footfall from
other lower-demographic groups and the
decline in the browser brigade.
“As all shoppers compare outlets with
high street, the biggest factor for generating
footfall is the most compelling
argument anyone can use for visiting an
outlet centre – to save money. Thus, the
perception of value pricing is far more
important than reality. My take on this is
that as long as prices are lower at an outlet
centre than on a high street, the actual
amount of the savings is secondary.
“Outlet centres cannot actually compete
with the might of high street promotions,
so we have to go with the longevity
of our offer by pointing out that the high
street might well have a good promotion
at the moment but outlet centres offer
great discounts every day.
“Centre branding is important only on
three occasions: at the centre’s launch,
InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
Great brands and better discounts drive sales, but shoppers everywhere, such as these
women at Junction One, need fortification to keep on buying.
its relaunch and all the time in between.
Branding, which is a constant task, creates
a real bond with customers, helping them
think of the centre as their place to shop.
“Leisure elements, such as cinemas,
restaurants and playgrounds are great for
creating a destination but ultimately end
up morphing your outlet centre into a
more mainstream hybrid shopping centre
with a value focus.”
Deepan Khiroya
retail Portfolio Director
Land Securities
“Our philosophy is to put consumers
at the heart of our outlet proposition. We
spend time and energy finding out how our
target customers live, what they want and
whether their towns are meeting their desired
lifestyle needs. We consider the retail
and leisure aspirations of our catchment
and then we set about delivering them.
“This is why at Gunwharf Quays and
The Galleria we have invested in delivering
superb leisure experiences, including
cinemas, health clubs, gourmet and casual
dining, bars, clubs and a bowling complex.
We provide a full retail and leisure experience
that’s quite complementary with urban living.
“Our retail line-up both satisfies our
customers’ everyday shopping needs
and exposes them to new global brands,
avoiding the ‘one size fits all’ approach to
leasing and marketing.
“We also believe new or improved
experiences, from food festivals hosted by
Michelin chefs to digital gaming lounges that
appeal to youth and male audiences add to
their shopping experience. We’ve tailored
family amenities to excite and entertain
young children with themed rides and play
areas. We position our centres as destinations,
as places our customers want to be.
“In an economic downturn, outlet
centres have an unprecedented opportunity
to provide discerning and value-conscious
shoppers the chance to economise rather
than compromise on quality. For us, the
alchemy of several factors – leisure, retail,
events – delivered in harmony – is what
drives sales.”
John Cleland
CEO
Lewis Land Group/
harbour town
“Shopping is about more than just
providing a product; it is about providing a
complete experience for customers – especially
as people’s lives get busier and busier.
“Harbour Town centres around Australia
are recognised for their discounts, but in
tougher financial times we compete with
other venues on a greater level by being
able to provide loyal customers with further
discounts and keep them informed of sales
and special deals at their favourite stores.
“We’ve been able to secure happy, loyal
customers as a result of our incentives
and services – which is also an obvious
financial benefit for Harbour Town tenants.
We pride ourselves on our diverse
offering, which means there is something
for everyone – even pets.
“Our comfortable tourism and customer
lounges have all the latest information
and our outdoor facilities, food and
entertainment precincts, bars, cafes and
restaurants set us apart from the rest and
bring customers to our door.” c

EurOPEAN CONFErENCE
FOCs a focal point
at ICSC Barcelona
Mark Faithfull, IOJ’s
reporter on the scene in
Barcelona at the 2009
ICSC European Conference
held in April, stopped
by the three educational
discussions that focused on
outlet retailing. His report
follows:
Outlet retailing’s
profitable future
At an event where the harsh realities
of the global consumer downturn
meant the feel-good factor
was pretty thin on the ground, participants
at the ICSC European Conference’s outlet
sector focused breakfast session had every
reason to feel a little self-congratulatory.
Europe’s outlet market is blossoming
during the current financial strictures and
attendees were greeted by a bullish message
from session chair Manuel Lagares,
CEO of Spanish outlet operator Neinver.
“This is a very positive market,” he told his
audience, “and it is proving that it can be a
very profitable sector.”
Lagares pointed to the growth of the
sector across the continent and to the development
of complementary services as
well as promotions for increasing footfall
and dwell time.
“We are always looking at attractions,”
he said. “In one of our centres we have
a new children’s education centre and
through this we are hoping to add 400,000
people to our footfall. But you must get
the right mix of retail and leisure,” he said.
This was a point picked up by the Turkish
contingent at the workshop, who noted that
outlet centres in Turkey work far better with
a good entertainment offer. However, one
attendee warned that extra services could
10 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
Value Retail’s 204,000-sf La Roca Village, 40 minutes northeast of Barcelona, was
a featured stop on the ICSC shopping centre tour in April.
also confuse tenants.
“In Turkey for outlet centres we have
also introduced supermarkets, food courts
and a cinema to drive footfall, which has
been very successful,” said Mehmet Ergin,
managing director of Kuzeybati-Savills.
“However, when you add these features,
you then have to work very hard with the
store chains to ensure that they do not
perceive the centre as full price and begin
to introduce full-line products.”
Lagares agreed: “In emerging markets it
is important that the operators and store
managers work together to understand
the concept,” he said. “It is not enough
to simply maintain the integrity between
a discount and an outlet centre. There are
differences in each market, so you have to
look at where the consumers’ needs exist.”
Neil Chapman, head of London-based
Chameleon Retail Consultancy, also picked
up on the role of outlet centres for urban
regeneration. He cited Gunwharf Quays in
Portsmouth as an example of a scheme that
transformed a derelict piece of ground on
the south coast of England by getting town
planners to “buy into the vision.”
Lagares was joined by Christian Garcia,
outlet development director of Spanish
fashion retailer Mango. Garcia explained
that Mango uses its outlet stores strictly as
a channel for disposing of excess stock.
This business model, he said, is having an
impact on where Mango sees opportunities
for development across the continent.
“We have one outlet unit at Junction 32
[near Castleford, in the north of England]
that we are very happy with, but we don’t
manufacture for the outlet sector and the
UK is a very expensive place to operate
from,” he explained. “It is not just the
rents but the service charges, the personnel
costs, the energy costs. For us, opening
stores has to make economic sense, and so
Eastern Europe offers much better value.”
Roundtable 1:
Outlet centre
differentiation
Location, location, location was the
mantra from an ICSC European Conference
roundtable on differentiating outlets

SHOPPING CENTrE AWArDS
2009 ICSC European Shopping Centre awards
Vicolungo takes ICSC honor
Neinver’s Vicolungo Outlets
was the recipient of a prestigious
2009 ICSC European
Shopping Centre Award, presented in
April during the European Conference.
Vicolungo won in the Specialised
Developments category.
The centre, which opened in October
2004, is in the province of Novara, 30
minutes from Milan, 40 minutes from
Turin and the Malpensa International
Airport, and 50 minutes from Varese.
It is also less than 1 hour from the busy
tourist destinations of the Maggiore
and d’Orta Lakes.
Shopping, fun and urban life are
the keys that inspired the development
of Vicolungo Outlets, which
was expanded a year ago to 28,500
m 2 and more than 130 shops.
Tenants include Baldinini, Benetton,
Botticelli, Breil Milano, Cerruti
1881, CK Jeans, Frette, Guess by
Marciano, Henry Cotton’s, Hilfiger
Denim, Les Copains, Levi Strauss &
Co., Nike, Parah, Puma, Samsonite
and Piquadro.
from the rest of the retail pack.
Discussion host Michael Goldenberg,
managing director of Value Retail
Spain, emphasised that the tenants in the
developer’s nine designer outlet villages
are only brands that already have a fullprice
offer in the country.
“Site selection is key,” Goldenberg
said. “We could have more outlet centres
in some of our bigger city locations but
as a high-end designer outlet village we
concentrate on getting exactly the right
location that combines an affluent local
population, tourist traffic and ex-patriate
consumers.”
Value Retail works with the brands to
maximise sales but reserves the right to flex
store size to reflect performance. “We have
a department store approach,” he said.
Alexandra Hahn, principal and head of
global client services, Branded Payment
Neinver’s 30 , 00-sf Vicolungo Outlets, located in the Lombardi region of Italy,
has a catchment of more than 13.5 million within a 90-minute drive.
Open seven days a week, including
holidays, Vicolungo alternates elegant
boutiques with relaxing green areas,
bars and restaurants. Its streets and
squares offer cultural events and
entertainment, with areas dedicated
Solutions, noted that there was a “lack of
focus generally” among some operators of
outlet centres. Daniel Galvez, general manager
APN Spain, said that for projects such
as APN’s Festival Park on the Iberian island
of Majorca, the addition of restaurants and
leisure is a merchandising essential.
Roundtable 2:
delivering the
outlet proposition
One of the major opportunities for
outlet centres, according to Henderson
Global Investors development manager
Jayson Egan is to capitalise on the erosion
of Europe’s high streets. Outlet centres
do this, he said, by leveraging the power
of brands into one easy-to-shop, consum-
to children. Designed by American
architect William Taylor, Vicolungo
Outlets fits into the pre-existing urban
site’s main street, combining traditional
Piemonte paving with landscaping
and expanses of water. c
er-friendly atmosphere.
“There is no point in having a centre
that does not provide a strong experience
for the consumer,” Egan warned. “If you
disappoint a shopper on her first visit, it
will be difficult to get her back.”
Ozgur Yaviz, managing director of
Sofia-based Investa Property Solutions,
raised concerns over the brand awareness
in emerging European markets when there
seems to be poor consumer understanding
of the outlet concept.
“We need to do more to distinguish
between outlet and discount centres in
Eastern Europe,” he said. “There is a need
to remodel some of what is going on.”
Egan concurred: “Understanding the
categories is crucial. As an operator you
have to be clear to both retailers and
consumers in these markets just what the
outlet centre offers.” c
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 11

CENTrE OPENING
roses Fashion Outlet
is Croatia’s first FOC
R
oses Fashion Outlet opened its
15,250-m2 phase 1 on 22 November
as the first outlet center in Croatia,
in Sveti Križ Začretje. The €50 million,
village-style project is a development of
Vienna-based Dayland Group and Soneva.
Roses is on Exit 4 Sv. Križ freeway A2/
E59, the major artery for Southeast and
Central Europe, from Zagreb to Maribor,
with approximately 37,000 cars passing
the site daily. The catchment within 60
minutes is 2.6 million people.
The center is constructed in a village
style with a town wall, which represents
the historical tradition of this region
between the Adriatic Sea and the Alps.
Columns, arches, traditional tiled roofs,
bridges, a river and ponds all add to the
ambience surrounding the center’s 78
shops. Opening more than 90 percent
occupied, the centre’s top brands include
Mango, Puma, Benetton, Polo Ralph
Lauren and Tommy Hilfiger.
The center originally opened in October,
but a government inspection closed it temporarily
due to lack of electricity and water
to portions of the scheme.
ROSES FAShION OuTLETS TENANT LIST
Accesorize
Algoritam
Alpina
Armani
B Young
Bar Italia
Barutti
Benetton
Bivios
Boogaloo
Borgo Fiori
Cacharel
Calvin Klein
Calzedonia
Carlo Calucci
Cerruti
Champion
Claire.dk
Club of Comfort
Converse
Costume National
D & G
De Puta Madre
Di Caprio
Diesel
Digel
Falke
Fendi
Francomina
Froddo
Funky Fish
Galileo
Gate One
GF Ferre
Ghetaldus
Gucci
Guess
Guy Laroche
Iceberg
ICHI
Intimissimi
Iris Parfumerija
Ittierre
Jack & Jones
Jockey
Juicy Couture
Just Cavalli
Kappa
12 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
Although three planned projects were vying to be the first to open in Croatia,
Dayland Group was the winner when it opened in November 2008.
A second phase of 8,550 m 2 is scheduled
to open in autum 2010. The expansion
will add another 50 shops and bring
the total GLA to more than 25.000 m 2 ,
comprising 128 shops carrying 200 inter-
Kenvelo
Kenzo
Kopitarna
Lacoste
Lebole
Lee
Levi‘s
Lotto
Mango
Marlboro Classics
Max Mara
Missoni
Morgan
MTC-Leptiric
Mustang
Nes
New Balance
Nike
Nomadic Denim
Office Shoes
Only
Oxon
Paolo Rizzi
Papuca
Paul Green
Playlife
Polo Ralph Lauren
Prada
Puma
Replay
Roccobarocco
Salvatore Ferragamo
Schiesser
Seklo
Selected
Sergio Rossi
Shoe Box
Simecki
Siscia
Sisley
Six
Skechers
Skiny
Soaked in Luxury
S‘Oliver
Speedo
Stiefelkoenig
Strellson
national brands.
Dayland Group also plans to expand
its Roses Fashion Outlets brand to Serbia.
Reportedly the company has already found
a site and has all the necessary permitting. c
Tally Weij
Technoplus
Tezenis
Timberland
Tisak
Tom Tailor
Tommy Hilfiger
Transport Footwear
Twenty&Twelve
Undercolors of Benetton
Valentino
Varteks International
Vero Moda
Versace
Watch Center
Wilvorst
Wrangler
Y-3
Yamamay
Yves Saint Laurent
Zlatarna Celje

Sofia Outlet Center sets October opening
Bulgaria’s principal
Outlet Center,
Sofia Outlet Center,
is taking shape and is
on track for opening in
October 2009. Brendon
O’Reilly, Director of GVA
Grimley Outlet Services,
says Bulgaria is an ideal
marketplace for the outlet
sector.
“Bulgaria has had
seven years of sustained
economic growth and low
inflation,” O’Reilly says.
“This has enabled consumer
spending to rise
very quickly. Over 70 percent
of the 7.7 million Bulgarians live
in urban areas and there is a wellestablished
market for high fashion
brands and a mall shopping culture.”
The country is under-retailed, he
said, and there is high demand for
Gloucester Quays centre
set to open with style
British style guru Gok Wan was
to officially open Gloucester
Quays Designer Outlet Centre on
May 30, finishing off the soft opening
that started on May 21.
The celebrity – famous for his “How to
Look Good Naked” television show – was
set to give three 30-minute VIP “audience
with Gok” sessions and use models to
explain how best to achieve the latest look
by shopping at Gloucester Quays.
Wan was just one of many highlights
during a stream of events held over a
10-day period featuring numerous fashion
and maritime themes. Full coverage will
be in the Fall IOJ.
At the heart of the scheme is the main
atrium space with the curved, glazed, gullwing
roof weighing 250 tons. The roof,
60 metres long by 40 metres wide, is a key
feature of the centre, allowing in natural
light and natural ventilation.
The developer of Sofia Outlet Center is Hamburg-based ECE
International, one of the CEE’s leading shopping centre developers,
with project management by Drees & Sommer, and operational
management by GVA Grimley Outlet Services.
quality brands. “Sofia Outlet Center
will supplement the full-price offer
by appealing to the price-conscious
shopper.”
The 15,500-m 2 enclosed mall will
have four floors, including two upper
The roof has been designed to make a
strong, elegant and unique statement.
Nick Hey, construction director at Peel
Holdings, the project’s developer, said,
“The installation of the gull-wing roof is a
significant milestone in the construction of
the designer outlet centre. Not only is it a
stunning piece of architecture but will give
the centre natural light making it an enjoyable
place to shop and relax.”
The curve of the roof and its ribbed
structure reflect the traditional timberframed
ships coming to Gloucester Quays,
as well as the flow of water along the adjacent
Sharpness canal and the Severn River.
Gloucester Quays is a joint venture of
Peel Holdings and British Waterways and
is one of the largest mixed-use waterside
regeneration developments in the UK.
The 60 acre, £400 million development
will provide over 150,000 m2 (1.6 million
sf) of GLA. c
Planned Openings
levels of retail with a food
court and coffee shops, and
a subterranean car park
with 520 spaces. There
will be over 90 outlet stores
ranging from 35 m 2 to
620+ m 2 , comprising over
60 brands, including Adidas,
Benetton, Champion, Diesel,
ECCO, Geox, JOOP, Levi’s,
Mango, Motivi, Nike, Pierre
Cardin, Puma, Rip Curl,
Rollmann, Sisley, Tommy
Hilfiger and Van Laack.
Sofia Outlet Center
is on an established
retail development, next
to Technomarket and
METRO and opposite the
EXPO Centre, between the city centre
and the ring road, with easy
access from the entire city. There
is a catchment of over 2.2 million
within a 90-minute drive and 2.7 million
within 2 hours. c
Tenants announced before IOJ’s
publication date in May include:
Austin Reed
Betty Barclay
CK (the first Calvin Klein Jeans and Calvin
Klein Underwear combo store in the UK)
Chapelle Jewellery
Daniel Footwear
De Keyser London
dVb Jeans (David and Victoria Beckham)
Hawes & Curtis
Hush Puppies
Iceberg
Jeff Banks
Jovani
Juicy Couture
L.K. Bennett
Lakeland Fine Leather
Lipsy
Louis Féraud
Melka
Pavers Shoes
Save the Queen
Suits You
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 13

EXPANSIONS
Gretna Gateway submits
plans for Phase 3 expansion
Gretna Gateway Outlet Village, which opened in 1999, is on the English border
in a town always linked to weddings due to the more liberal marriage laws in Scotland.
Fashion House continues
adding GLA in Poland
FAShION hOuSE Outlet Centre in
Sosnowiec, Poland, recently completed its
third and final phase of expansion. When
completed the Sosnowiec scheme will be
nearly 23,000 m 2 , the second biggest outlet
centre in Poland behind Fashion House
Outlet Centre Warsaw.
By the end of the year, the Sosnowiec
centre will offer more than 500 brands and
potentially employ up to 150 in the newly
opened shops. The centre expects to eventually
employ more than 500 people.
In Gdansk, phase 2 of that city’s Fashion
House Outlet Centre, will add 50 new
units to the centre and is scheduled for
1 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
completion in November. The centre is
northern Poland’s only outlet centre and is
located in the Szadolki district, a popular
tourist area near the Baltic coast that pulls
1.5 million visitors annually.
Phase 1, which opened in October 2005,
brought Adidas, Big Star, Gino Rossi, Levi’s,
Mexx, Lee Cooper and Wolczanka to the region,
later adding Converse, Puma and Nike.
Phase 2 leasing is well under way according
to Neil Thompson, CEO of Fashion
House Development, because of the centre’s
“strong marketplace and brand mix.”
Polonia Property Fund II Limited is the
owner of the Fashion House outlet centres
Polonia Property Fund’s Fashion House Sosnowiec will soon be adding tenants
to its current line-up that includes Adidas, Converse, Ecco, New Balance, Nike
and Quiksilver.
Representatives of Gretna
Gateway Outlet Village, located
in Dumfries, Scotland, near the
English border, have submitted plans
to Dumfries and Galloway Council
for adding six units to the centre.
This third phase of site construction
would add 15,000 sf of retail space
to the centre’s current 125,000 sf,
according to the management company,
Orchard Street.
Meanwhile, one of the site’s tenants,
Marks & Spencer, has also submitted
plans to the council to expand
its own outlet by 25 percent. c
in Poland. They are managed, marketed
and leased by the original developer,
Fashion House Developments, which is a
partnership between Liebrecht & Wood
and GVA Grimley Outlet Services.
Fashion Arena Prague
to double tenant offer
FAShION ARENA, the first outlet centre
in Prague, recently received zoning and
building permission to increase its leasable
area by 76,100 sf, to 345,200 sf from its
current 269,100 sf. The enthusiastic response
of Prague-area shoppers to the outlet
concept drove the need for expansion,
according to Graham Coxhead, director of
LMS Outlets, co-developer of the project
along with TK Development. “Visitor
numbers and average customer spending
at the centre are constantly increasing,” he
said.
Plans call for 36 new units in a mix of
sizes, including 10 boutiques. By offering
this mix, tenants can select the best solution
for their needs, according to Thomas
Villadsen, general manager of TK Development.
The centre, which opened in
2007, currently has 74 brand name stores.
Construction will begin before the end
of this year and is scheduled for completion
in 2010. General contractor for the
expansion will be GEMO Olomouc,
which also developed phase 1.

mcarthurGlen
promotes madsen
and Wilding
LONDON-BASED McArthurGlen has
appointed Henrik Madsen as managing
director, UK and Northern
Europe, and Colin Wilding as UK
country manager.
Madsen was previously regional director
UK for McArthurGlen. In his new
position, he oversees the company’s
seven centres in the UK, including the
UK’s largest, Cheshire Oaks Designer
Outlet, as well as the McArthurGlen
projects in the Netherlands (Roermond
Designer Outlet) and Austria (Parndorf
Designer Outlet).
Northern Europe is also one of
McArthurGlen’s fastest-growing
regions for expansion, with
Madsen overseeing the leasing and
management of new schemes in
Berlin, Salzburg and Neumünster
(Hamburg). The three schemes will
add a total of 62,000 m2 of new
retail space to McArthurGlen’s port-
EXPANSIONS
folio by the end of 2011.
Danish-born Madsen joined
McArthurGlen in 2007. He was previously
senior VP of Kenneth Cole
Productions, and his international
fashion background includes roles
as brand director at IPI Spa Itália,
where he led the global launch of
Miu Miu; senior executive at French
Connection Group Ltd, and divisional
chief executive at Kasper Europe Ltd
(Jones Apparel Group).
Wilding, appointed to the newly
created position of UK country manager,
retains his current role as
general manager of Cheshire Oaks
Designer Outlet.
Wilding joined McArthurGlen in
September 2004. He was previously
director at Chatham Maritime
Development; retail marketing director
at Bluewater from its launch in
1998 until 2002, and general manager
of global sales operations for
The Body Shop.
McArthurGlen Group operates 17
designer outlet villages across the
UK and Europe.
GLOBAL PEOPLE
norwegian Outlet
appoints new
managing director
EINAR SORLAND has been appointed
managing director at Norwegian
Outlet, which is
located at Vestby,
30 minutes south
of Oslo. The
scheme will be
the first outlet
centre in Norway.
Sorland has more
than 15 years of
retail marketing
and management experience from
companies such as G-Sport, European
Loyalty Systems and Panasonic.
Construction has begun on
Norwegian Outlet’s 12,000-m2 phase
1, which is 70 percent leased and
scheduled to open in May 2010. A
second phase of 4,000 m2 Einar Sorland
is expected
to be finalized in 2011. The scheme
is being developed by Outlet Invest
and Veidekke Entreprenor. c
dubai Outlet mall defies downturn, plans expansion
DuBAI OuTLET MALL, the first outlet
project in the Middle East, is building up
its leasing team with plans to double its
size as the global slowdown sends a growing
number of shoppers to the centre in
search of bargains.
According to Vishal Mahajan, the mall’s
director, traffic has doubled since its
opening in August 2007. Currently, nearly
15,000 visitors come to the multi-level mall
each weekday, a figure that rises to 25,000
on weekends. Just as importantly, this burgeoning
base of bargain buyers comprises
dedicated shoppers, with up to 90 percent
making a purchase.
The mall’s success isn’t lost on retailers.
Mahajan says many retailers who missed out
on phase 1 are interested in establishing a
significant presence at Dubai Outlet Mall.
“We have been approached by a lot of
retailers,” he says, noting that retailers tell him
their stores in Dubai Outlet Mall are the best
or second-best performing store for their
brand in the country. Tenants include Gucci,
Valentino, Christian Dior, Boutique 1, Prada,
Paul Smith, Armani, Stella McCartney, Mark
by Mark Jacob, and Ralph Lauren.
The possible move toward expansion
came after the Middle East Council of Shopping
Centres warned that the UAE had an
oversupply of shop space, and at least one
developer, Nakheel, announced a delay of its
$3 billion expansion plans across the country.
Mahajan maintains that DOM’s pricing
appeals to a different customer segment
than other malls. He explains that Dubai
Outlet Mall brands contractually agree to
discounts at least 30 percent lower than
other stores – and in some case 90-percent
lower. The result is a customer base that
grows during tough times.
“They say Dubai is over-retailed (but)
we still have a niche,” Mahajan said. c
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 15

2009 EASTEr
Guinea, Chester post big sales,
footfall during Easter week
Chester Properties Asset
Management reports that
2009 Easter week footfall
increased by 62 percent, sales
psf by 50 percent and turnover
by 41 percent at its two UK
outlet properties, Springfields
Outlet Shopping & Festival
Gardens in Spalding and Festival
Park in Wales.
Refurbishments and
rebranding of both centres
did the trick, says Chester’s
Ian Sanderson. “We’re very
optimistic,” he said, “as our
two centres have delivered
outstanding results this year
and we believe the trend will
continue.”
Springfields, whose catchment is much
of Eastern England and East Anglia,
completed an £11million improvement
comprising the addition of a 43-bed hotel,
a covered mall and new lettings that so far
include Gap Outlet, Tula, Marks & Spencer,
Bags Etc, Leia, Klass, Bijoux, Tog 24
and Past Times. The Gardens have also
PhASE 1 uPDATES
neinver to open
FOC in Galicia
MADRID-BASED Neinver will open its
fifth outlet center in Spain in spring 2010.
The 12,600-m 2 phase 1 of Factory La
Coruña will be located in the province of
Galicia in northwestern Spain, just nine
km from the city of La Coruña and 2 km
from the airport.
Coruna, a port city on the Atlantic
Ocean, the richest part of Galicia, is where
clothing company Zara opened its first
store. Inditex, the main textile manufacturer
of the world, and the parent company
of Zara, has its headquarters in the nearby
town of Arteixo.
Neinver plans a second phase of 8,900
m 2 as well.
Additionally, Neinver is working on phase
4 of its newest acquisition, Zweibrucken
Outlet near Frankfurt. The company is also
looking to expand its Factory brand Vila do
Conde in Portugal, and Vicolungo Outlets
1 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SPrING 2009
Gap, Marks & Spencer and Animal are among the new
tenants in phase 2 of UBS Triton’s 90,000-sf Springfields
Outlet Shopping in Spalding, England.
seen further improvements that include a
giant seasonal Winter Wonderland Walk
and display fountains.
Festival Park in Wales, which has new
tenants including Past Times, Rugby
Heaven and Tacklesmart, has shown
increases in footfall of 33 percent and
turnover of 24 percent.
“We have turned Festival Park around,”
and Castel Guelfo Outlet in Italy.
Currently, Neinver’s portfolio of 11
outlet centres includes four in Spain, three
in Poland, two in Italy, one in Germany,
and one in Portugal.
Construction begins
on norwegian Outlet
CONSTRuCTION hAS begun on Outlet
Invest’s Norwegian Outlet, the first outlet
village in Norway. The 12,000-m 2 phase 1
is set for completion in May 2010, with a
4,000-m 2 expansion to follow.
The centre is well-sited on Hwy. E6 next
to the landmark water tower in Vestby,
south of Oslo. A new roundabout will also
be built in connection with the centre. Customer
access to the centre’s 40 to 50 stores
will be from the outside, a concept intended
to give Norwegian shoppers a new and
different experience. A total of 870 parking
spaces will be available to customers.
Norwegian Outlet is already 70-percent
Sanderson says, “and created a
genuine feel-good environment.
Our customers now travel further
and stay longer thus increasing the
chance of their making a purchase.”
Chester is the developer of Festival
Park and manages Springfields
for UBS Triton Property Fund.
n n n
Easter weekend shoppers at
Guinea Group’s Junction One
in Antrim, N. Ireland, delivered
increased sales of 8 percent against
the same period last year. Footfall
was also significantly up, recording
15 percent more visitors than
Easter 2008.
According to John Drummond,
the centre’s asset manager, the Junction
One stores for Next, Trespass and Game
scored No. 1 status within their companies.
Nike’s sales were up 35 percent over
Easter last year.
Other top performers at Junction One
included Perfume Shop’s 46 percent uplift
in Easter sales and Camille’s 85 percent
increase. c
leased, with brands including Puma, Bjorn
Borg, Quiksilver and Helly Hansen.
bayraktar plans
centre in ankara
Bayraktar kardeşler İnşaat, a
Turkish construction company, has announced
plans to build the Ankara Vialife
Fashion Outlet Center in the capital. The
€50 million centre is expected to open by
the end of the year and employ up to 1,000
people. The company opened Viaport Outlet
Shopping Center in Istanbul last year.
According to Turkey-based Hurriyet
Daily News, the outlet center will be located
in Bayraktar İnşaat’s business towers,
known as Via Towers, and the project is
already 80 percent leased.
Viaport has reportedly been visited by a
record number of people and sales in the
center are high, too. The developer says
the occupancy rate at Viaport is 100 percent
with a waiting list for space. c

Alpenrhein lands
two major
tourism partners
DuE TO ITS unique location in Landquart
at the gateway to the Grison Alps, the most
popular tourism destination in Switzerland,
Alpenrhein Outlet Village has secured
collaborations with two major tourism
partners six months prior to opening:
Rhaetische Bahn: World famous
for the spectacular Glacier Express and
the UNESCO World Heritage Albula/
Bernina, the RhB rail network connects
Landquart and adjacent Alpenrhein Outlet
Village with world-famous destinations
like Davos/Klosters and St.Moritz. In
exchange for theming part of the village
with Swiss trains and images, the RhB will
distribute Alpenrhein brochures and im-
ages in the RhB train stations and on RhB
railtours, and also offer a free return ticket
for Alpenrhein visitors spending more
than CHF50 in the village. The RhB will
paint one of their locomotives with the
Alpenrhein logo.
heidiland: Home of famous Heidi and
Peter, Heidiland is also a major summer and
winter holiday destination that includes the
nearby Walen Lake, the Bad Ragaz spa and
numerous Alpine mountaintops. People will
be drawn to Alpenrhein as the Heidi spirit
will infuse the village with alpine events
and kids’ attractions. Heidi souvenirs and
brochures will be available in one of the
shops at the entrance of the village from
the train station.
As of mid April, the 226,020-sf scheme,
being developed by ING, was 80 percent
leased. The opening is scheduled for
autumn.
Fibreglass wolf sculptures turned out to be an ideal donation for a charity
auction by Designer Outlets Wolfsburg to the city of Wolfsburg, Germany.
DOW donates wolf
sculptures for charity
Designer Outlets Wolfsburg,
Germany´s newest outlet centre,
which opened December 2007,
marked the 70th anniversary of the
city of Wolfsburg with a donation of
giant fibreglass wolves. The wolves
were later painted by local organisations
and artists and sold at a public
auction, which raised €8.000 for a
children’s hospital in Wolfsburg.
Outlet Centres International´s
management team developed the
idea for the wolves and the auction.
“The wolf, being the heraldic animal
of the city, shows our commitment
to the city and gratitude to the
Wolfsburg citizens for their support
of the centre,” says centre manager
Regina Leitner.
The finished sculptures include a
wolf placed in an oversized running
wheel and a wolf dressed in a soccer
jersey belonging to Wolfsburg´s
premier league. c
NEWS NOTES
Lights out at
Dalton Park for
Earth hour
DALTON PARK, the biggest outlet shopping
centre in the region, switched off its
lights for one hour at 8:30 p.m. on 28th
March for Earth Hour. Approximately
2,140 cities, towns and municipalities in
more than 82 countries committed to
“Vote Earth,” with millions of homes,
landmark buildings, businesses and shopping
centres switching off their lights to
show their support.
By switching off their canopy lights for
one hour, Dalton Park saved 15,200W or
15.2Kw.
Dalton Park has been running a successful
Going Green campaign for more
than a year to encourage energy efficiency
and recycling. The 160,000-sf centre in
Murton, England, owned by ING, was recently
awarded the prestigious ISO 14001
accreditation for successful environmental
management.
Premier Outlets
Denmark marks
first anniversary
PREMIER OuTLETS Centre, Denmark,
a joint development venture between
TK Development and Miller Developments,
operated by GVA Grimley Outlet
Services, recently celebrated its one-year
anniversary.
The scheme opened with international
brands including Nike, Levi’s, Calvin Klein
Underwear, Wolford, Puma and Reebok
and recently added Danish brands Friis &
Co, Modström, and Samsøe & Samsøe,
as well as Hugo Boss. The centre saw a
39-percent increase in comparative sales
for March/April 2009 and a 16 percent increase
in average spend compared to 2008.
Brendon O’Reilly, director, GVA Grimley
Outlet Services, said opening the first
outlet centre in a country has its challenges,
but those are to be expected. “It takes
time to establish and build the offer to
ensure the most positive consumer experience,
to support new brands to develop
their outlet offer and attract established
brands into a new marketplace.”
Premier Outlets Centre Denmark is the
first purpose-built designer outlet scheme
in Denmark and covers 13,200 m² and 60
tenants, a restaurant and café facilities and
1,000 parking spaces. c
SPrING 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 17

NEWS NOTES
Cheshire Oaks chosen
for outlet firsts, honors
Lingerie brand Elle
Macpherson Intimates
opened its first
UK outlet store in April at
McArthurGlen’s Cheshire
Oaks in Chester, England.
The 1,386-sf store joins
140 other brands in the
UK’s largest outlet centre
– 31,000-m 2 – which attracts
7 million visitors a year.
Beverly Hill, EU President
of Bendon UK, which holds
the license for Elle Macpherson
Intimates, said the company
chose Cheshire Oaks
because the centre “provides
an established, affluent customer
profile for us to target,
and is ideally positioned between
the northwest’s largest
cities, Manchester and Liverpool. Commercially,
this made Cheshire Oaks a very
attractive proposition for our business.”
Original Penguin, the U.S. company
formerly known as Munsingwear, also
recently opened its first UK outlet store at
Cheshire Oaks.
1 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
Elle MacPherson Intimates chose Cheshire Oaks for its first UK
outlet store because the centre is between the Liverpool and Manchester
metro markets.
retail academy
Being a brand’s first choice is enough
to make any outlet center proud, but
Cheshire Oaks was honored again, this
time by the UK’s newly launched National
Skills Academy for Retail. The Academy
has named Cheshire Oaks Retail Acad-
The much-awaited opening of the 110,900-sf first phase of Designer Outlet Berlin
was to take place June 18 th . The centre, an €18 million extreme makeover on the
grounds of the original B5 project in the Brandenburg area of Berlin, will be at least
85 percent let on opening, according to owner Henderson European Outlet Mall
Fund. The three-year project is the combined efforts of Henderson and McArthur-
Glen, which handles the development and property management. Tenants in the
project include Adidas, Aigner, Ecko, Mango, Mexx, Nike/Kids and Tommy Hilfiger.
The new village-style centre integrates a variety of typical regional architectural styles
with generous landscaping in an open square with one house for each brand. Look
for full coverage of the opening in the Fall IOJ.
emy (CORA) as one of 18
recognized skills shops across
the country.
CORA is a private-public
initiative that was set up in
2003 by McArthurGlen and
West Cheshire College, local
borough councils and Jobcentre
Plus.
The National Skills Academy
for Retail is a government-backed
network of
training centres set up to
increase productivity in the
sector. CORA has already
trained and up-skilled more
than 1,300 people in retail,
and helped 140 McArthur-
Glen brand partners recruit
skilled employees.
Serving a 40-mile radius,
CORA offers a diploma in retail business,
pre-employment training, apprenticeships,
retail customer service
programmes and retail work experience
opportunities.
“This recognition reaffirms our position
as an important resource for retailers
in developing and training staff,” says Julia
Calabrese, CEO of McArthurGlen.
The National Skills Academy plans to
designate 70 skills shops in the UK over
the next three years. McArthurGlen Retail
Academies operate in all the developer’s
outlet villages across Europe.
Green transportation
Employees at Cheshire Oaks and a
neighbouring business park are being
urged to “Get on the bus!” The Highways
Agency, which operates both the M53 and
M56 in the area, is working with businesses
to develop smarter shopper and commuter
travel options. As part of its efforts
to promote greener transportation, the
agency persuaded a major bus company to
run a regular route closer to the centre and
to improve its service between Chester and
Liverpool.
In all, McArthurGlen Group operates 17
designer outlet villages across the UK and
Europe. Sales this January period for the
whole portfolio increased by 17 percent,
with like-for-like sales up by 8 percent and
footfall by 7 percent. c

PHASE 1 PLANS
mutschler, Gva Grimley
to partner on Soltau FOC
ThE CONSENT PROCESS took 10 years,
but Mutschler Development Group was recently
awarded the permit to build a 10,000m
2 outlet centre in Soltau. GVA Grimley
Outlet Services is partnering with Mutschler
to manage, market, lease and operate the
centre, which is in the Luneburger Heide
region of northern Germany, near the cities
of Hamburg, Bremen and Hanover.
Located across from Heide-Park, one
of the largest theme parks in northern
Germany, and along the A7 motorway, the
centre will be easily accessible to the 2 mil-
lion visitors the area attracts annually.
Brendon O’Reilly, director, GVA Grimley
Outlet Services, says the site is ideal.
“This is an affluent area of Germany with
high purchasing power and brand-aware
consumers.”
“This is a great success for us as we now
have one of the best locations in Germany,”
says Sylvie Mutschler, general manager
of the company, which has offices in Ulm
and Zurich. The company covers all aspects
of development including acquiring
the land, planning the project, obtaining
Freeport’s planned 253,000-sf Alsace International Outlet will draw shoppers from
the affluent and densely populated area surrounding the French/German border.
Freeport to start construction
on Alsace designer outlet
Visitors to Alsace International
Outlet, Freeport’s planned designer
outlet centre in Alsace (Roppenheim),
France, will find themselves shopping in
an authentic medieval Alsatian village,
complete with a moat and fortification.
Freeport, part of the Carlyle Europe
Real Estate portfolio and a developer/operator
of outlet centres in
Europe, promises a unique shopping
experience with goods ranging from
designer brands to fresh vegetables.
Sited between the A35 and the
E35 motorways on the French/
German border, 35 minutes north
of Strasbourg, the centre will draw
shoppers with strong purchasing
power from the affluent, densely
populated region. More than 8 million
live within 90 minutes of the site,
which is only 15 minutes from the
famous spa town of Baden-Baden.
The center has already drawn interest
from significant international
brands, Freeport says, pointing to 10
signed leases and more than 40 percent
of the remaining GLA in the final
stages of the leasing process. A total
of 106 shops are planned, and 1,700
parking spaces will be available.
Freeport, in joint venture with
Urban (Vinci Group) and Demathieu
& Baird, will start construction on
the project in October. Completion is
expected in late 2010, with the grand
opening slated for march 2011. c
the necessary building permits and offering
a range of finance options.
Stable gains
building permits
in Germany
STABLE INTERNATIONAL, developer
of Batavia Stad Outlet Shopping in Lelystad,
The Netherlands, moved closer to the
development of two projects in Germany.
In April, Stable received the building
permit for Leipzig Fashion Outlet. The
project is near Leipzig in a region where
economic growth is under way by international
companies, including BMW, DHL,
Porsche and Amazon.
The site is on the heavily travelled A9 Munich-Berlin
Motorway with optimal accessibility
via the Wiedemar exit. Leipzig Airport
is nearby, and the major cities of Leipzig,
Dresden and Potsdam are all within 30 to
60 minutes drive time. Construction of the
centre is expected to begin in the fall with
the opening scheduled for mid-2010.
The project features sleek, modern architecture
and a distinct colour scheme in keeping
with it’s high-profile site. The centre will
be largely indoors to ensure comfortable
year-round shopping.
The 16,000-m 2 centre will have approximately
70 stores and more than 2,000 free
parking spaces.
n n n
In March, Stable International was
granted a building permit by the Westerwald
District Authority for Montabaur
Fashion Outlet. Located in the federal state
of Rheinland-Pfalz with 4 million residents,
Montabaur is positioned between the
densely populated Rhein-Ruhr and Rhein-
Main. The market has high development
potential because of the high-speed rail
and A3 Motorway connection, and because
more than 7 million live within a 90-minute
drive of the planned project.
The A3 is one of the most important
north-south motorways, with an exit
leading directly to the railway station and
to the Montabaur Fashion Outlet site. In
2002 Montabaur was linked via the highspeed
rail to both Cologne and Frankfurt.
The 13,500-m 2 centre is scheduled to
open in 2011. c
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 19

LEASING
Osprey leads new
lease signings at
Gunwharf Quays
LAND SECuRITIES’ Gunwharf Quays
Outlet Village in Portsmouth Harbour, UK,
is home to four new tenants, including a
1,447-sf Osprey Graeme Ellisdon store.
The Osprey store is one of two the luxury
leather brand is opening this year in the UK.
Osprey launched its outlet chain in October
with its first store at McArthurGlen York.
Other recent openings at Gunwharf are:
n Superdry, with its first UK factory
store in a 4,513-sf space. Superdry sells casual
wear, infused with vintage Americana
and inspired by Japanese graphic styles.
The brand is now sold globally in over
hARBOuR TOWN shopping centres
across Australia have been busy in
recent months. In late 2008, the
developer opened its newest centre
20 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
20 countries and received Drapers’ Young
Fashion of the Year Award in 2008.
n Columbia Sportswear Company,
with its second UK store in a 2,297-sf
space. Known for outerwear, sportswear,
footwear, camping equipment, skiwear
and accessories, Columbia is found in
more than 100 countries and operates 30
outlet stores in the U.S.
n Brasserie Blanc, the latest restaurant
of celebrity chef Raymond Blanc. The
4,300-sf restaurant is on the ground
floor of Gunwharf Quays’ new 30storey
tower, No. 1 Gunwharf, part of
the recently developed East Side Plaza.
Brasserie Blanc, the chain’s seventh restaurant
in the UK, is known for simple,
high quality, authentic French cuisine at
affordable prices.
The Range opens
50,000-sf unit at
Dockside Chatham
DOCKSIDE OuTLET’S largest single
unit, discount department store The Range
opened in a 50,000-sf unit on May 1. The
store brings with it more than 200 new
jobs. The Range chose Dockside for its
first inline store; previously the retailer has
opened standalone units in retail parks.
The Range, which operates 37 stores in
the UK, will sell 65,000 products in 16 departments,
including furniture, arts & crafts,
camping equipment and garden furniture.
The Range joins a list of new tenants
that include Shumi Hair; All Wellan Good
and Books to Go. c
australia’s harbour town centres busy with leasing
in Melbourne’s Docklands, as well as
a major expansion at Harbour Town
Adelaide that added 30 new outlet
stores to its line-up.
harbour Town Adelaide in southern Australia is in an area famous for its many
food, wine and cultural festivals as well as sporting events.
The two-level, 41,000-m 2 Harbour
Town at Waterfront City, Melbourne
opened in October with a new retail
concept, The Designers’ House. A
range of high-end fashion collections
and a luxurious lounge and powder
room are grouped in this section of the
scheme, which will feature personalised
sales assistance and VIP nights
to preview the latest collections.
In the south of Australia, Harbour
Town Adelaide opened its latest
expansion in December 2008. The
30-outlet store extension boasts big
brands including iconic Australian
clothing and accessories retailer
Windsor Smith, music store CC
Music, French lingerie label Simone
Perele and supermarket operator
Woolworths.
At Harbour Town Gold Coast in
Queensland, new tenants include
Speedo, French Connection, Universal
Store, Lacoste, Marco Polo, Steve
Madden, EB Games and Unit Clothing.
On the West Coast, Harbour Town
Perth recently welcomed street wear
label Industrie and a second store for
Industrie Kids. Other new tenants
in Perth include Cue and Simone
Perele. c

As outlet retailing in Europe
emerges as a strong choice for
brands seeking new channels for
distributing their goods and maintaining
their image, two industry trade groups
have formed. Both say they want to raise
the industry’s standards and provide a
platform for positive growth.
In Italy, the Commissione Consultiva
CNCC Factory Outlets (Factory Outlets’
Advisory Committee of the Italian
National Council of Shopping Centers) is
for all developers, retailers and brands that
are involved in the Italian FOC market, according
to organiser Filippo Maffioli.
The aims of the group, in conjunction
with the ICSC and IOJ, are to keep track
of the Italian industry, which includes
more than 16 centers totaling 4.3 million
sf and five planned centres totaling 1.2
million sf, analyze the Italian’s industry’s
challenges and strengths; present one voice
for the media and public opinion; and to
study and report on markets and statistics.
n n n
The second group, the European
Outlet Retailer and Developers Association
(ORDA) isn’t country-specific, but
is dedicated to the needs of the outlet
industry across the European retail marketplace.
ORDA plans its formal launch
at Mapic 2009.
Brendon O’Reilly, a member of the
ORDA Steering Group, says the group
started as a way of moving the outlet
sector into the forefront as it has become
a highly credible, expanding and unique
retail sector.
The membership will comprise brands,
manufacturers and retailers, as well as
TrADE GrOuPS
two trade groups form
as outlet sector grows
LEASING ACTIVITY
n GVa Grimley Outlet Services
recently signed three new tenants to
centres it manages. In April, Fashion
arena Outlet Centre Prague in the
Czech republic has been joined by
Italian jeansmaker rifle Jeans in a
197-m 2 space, and Gear, which has
taken a 250-m2 space. Fashion House
Outlet Centre Gdansk in Poland welcomed
timberland in a 175-m2 unit
at the end of May.
n New tenants opening since January
at Freeport’s 242,000-sf Freeport
International Outlet in Hate, Czech
republic, include Bushman, Carlo
Caddeo, Five Seasons, Gant, Levi
Strauss, Sarar and tom tailor. Sarar
and Carlo Caddeo specialise in menswear,
and Five Seasons provides family
sportswear and in-line skates.
n Manchester-based bed linen specialist
Belledorm has taken a 2,247sf
unit at the Lowry Outlet Mall in
Salford Quays, england. The 205,867sf
mall, owned by Orbit Developments,
reported an 11 percent increase in
comp store sales and a 10 percent
increase in footfall sales for the first
eleven weeks of 2009.
n InG real estate’s 160,000-sf
Dalton Park in Murton, england, has
signed three new tenants this year.
Collectables (2,314 sf), carrying brands
such as Royal Doulton and Lladro,
opened its first UK store; Charisma
(1,142 sf) offers casual and formal
menswear; and Broomhill and Co.
(1,530 sf), known for bed, bath and
home accessories.
n Four new tenants have joined
the 160 stores at Foxtown Factory
Stores-Mendrisio in Switzerland:
Church’s, tod’s-Hogan-Fay, Y-3 and
Polo ralph Lauren. The 269,106-sf
mall was developed by Studio Silvio
tarchini in 1995.
n tommy Hilfiger was set to open
a 500-sf unit at Designer Outlets
Wolfsburg, Germany. The 124,000sf
centre was developed by Outlet
Centres International, who developed
Designer Outlets Zweibrucken,
developers, service providers and other
occupiers in the outlet sector.
ORDA’s mission includes increasing
awareness and understanding of the sector;
providing a platform to showcase,
study, implement and share best practices;
and providing networking forums.
ORDA also plans to provide regular
industry statistics, a Web site, a series of
newslines and a range of events.
n n n
Anyone interested in joining or learning
more about these trade groups can do so
by contacting the following:
Commissione Consultiva CNCC Factory
Outlets, Filippo Maffioli, filippo.
maffioli@promosbrescia.com.
European Outlet Retailer and Developers
Association, Nancy Riach, nancy.
riach@gvagrimley.co.uk. c
recently acquired by Neinver.
n In March, Hugo Boss opened its first
outlet store in Denmark at Premier
Outlets Centre Denmark. At 400 m2 ,
the Hugo Boss unit joins such retailers
at the 13,200 m2 centre as nike, Levi’s,
Calvin Klein underwear, Wolford,
Puma and reebok. Danish brands at
the factory outlet include: Sams o e &
Sams oe,
Friis & Co. and Modström.
Premier Outlets Centre Denmark is a
joint venture between tK Developments
and Miller Developments.
n Chiquito, Britain’s biggest Mexican
grill & bar company, has opened a
restaurant at the Galleria, Land
Securities’ 320,000-sf mixed-use outlet,
restaurant and leisure destination
in Hatfield, england. The popular grill
and bar operation has taken a 3,700sf
space in the undercroft, a previously
unused 13,454-sf area under the
Galleria’s nine-screen Odeon Cinema.
The undercroft provides space for six
new catering units and a 5,382-sf seating
area. c
SummEr 2009 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL 21

WITH THIS IN mIND
Outlets’ missing message:
“brands you love at a discount”
By DAVID WILLIAMS
Fund manager
Henderson Global Investors
Imagine telling a new acquaintance
that you work in the outlet
industry. The normal reaction I
get is blankness. I’d be delighted to
say that this is a rare occurrence,
but sadly the expression is all too
familiar. In fact, I’d go one step
further and suggest that perhaps
nine out of 10 people
don’t know what an
outlet is.
If I bring Cheshire
Oaks into the conversation,
the blank expression
turns to one of
latent familiarity. Even
my mother has heard
of Cheshire Oaks! I
believe we do a fantastic
job of marketing the
centre’s brand and its
identity, but perhaps
^
not its raison d’etre.
As an industry we need to educate
the public with our core message in
a simple and succinct way. We sell
brands you love at a discount. There.
That’s it. Nothing fancy or overly
complicated. Sure we enhance
visitors’ experience through leisure
facilities and customer service, but
let’s not lose sight of our fundamental
proposition: We sell brands you
love at a discount!
How can we get this message over
discretely without upsetting our
brand partners too much? Three
thoughts spring to mind:
First, we need better PR in mainstream
consumer press. A recent
article in the Financial Times cov-
22 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SummEr 2009
ered the growth of discount retailers
and outlets reporting up to a
70 percent discount. The message
was a good one. But is it enough to
motivate a family of four to drive 70
minutes with ambiguity lurking in
the back of their minds that they
might be disappointed when they
finally arrive?
A wise friend recently asked me
why he should drive over an hour to
go to an outlet when a large shopping
centre sits on his
doorstep. Clearly
people aren’t getting
it. Therefore
we need to promote
the centre’s
market as well
as its discounts.
For instance, the
medieval town of
Roermond and the
surrounding lakes
of Maasplassen
provide another
reason to try the
Designer Outlet Roermond. The
footfall at our centres – and the
increased revenue from the
increased footfall – positively
impacts local economies.
Second, we should encourage
our existing customers to spread
the outlet gospel. Up to 70 percent
of new footfall is generated
by word of mouth from customers
that have visited the outlet centre.
On average, a shopper is twice as
likely to relate a bad experience
than a good one, so let’s make sure
our customers don’t have negative
experiences.
Third, let’s work together as landlords,
developers and operators to
DAVID WILLIAMS
build a single consumer education
programme. Let’s take control of
our industry’s image rather than
let it be tarnished through a lack of
consumer understanding. Perhaps
if we all think together we’d be in a
better position to maximise returns
in this challenging retail environment.
Perhaps we could impress on the
public’s collective mind an accurate
descriptor of outlet shopping. I
came up with D.D.O.C. – Discounted
Designer Outlet Centre. You may
have a better one.
Whatever we do, let’s be bold with
our marketing propositions through
engaging the public with a clear
understanding of the outlet proposition
as well as promoting our centres’
markets. My mission, and I’m
sure yours, is to make outlet shopping
a byword for famous brands at
compelling prices and a true day-trip
destination. c
2009 IOJ Calendar
news Deadline, 14 august
Fall EOC IOJ
news Deadline, 8 September,
IOJ Pipeline
Vrn Fall Outlet retail Convention
14-15 September, Hyatt Regency
New Brunswick, New Brunswick, N.J.
ICSC european Factory
Outlets Conference
14 - 15 October, Starhotel Rosa,
Milan
Mapic
18-20 November, Palais Des
Festivals, Cannes

2 InternatIOnaL OutLet JOurnaL SPrING 2009