Ahead of opening in 2023, the Grantham Designer Outlet Village has announced a spate of letting fashion and F&B brands that will take space in the premium outlet – alongside the news it will feature online sales platform Wishibam, a UK-first for outlet retail destinations.
Premium and lifestyle fashion brands Armani, Hugo Boss and Moss Bros have all agreed to take space in the outlet retail destination in the East Midlands, alongside F&B names including Starbucks and Five Guys.
The outlet village is also set to be the first retail destination in the UK to partner with Wishibam, a Paris-based tech start-up. The partnership will provide an omnichannel retail store management system offering ship-from-store and click-and-collect services. The technology aims to enhance the physical shopping experience, providing live updates to shoppers on what is available in participating stores and helping to drive footfall and increase sales.
Giles Membrey, managing director of Rioja Estates, said: “In the past few months alone, we have seen interest from brands more than double, reflecting the post pandemic success of outlets generally and the exceptional opportunities this best-in-class destination will offer for brands, as well as for the 4.5 million people living within a 90-minute drive and those from farther afield.
“Added to that, our partnership with Wishibam, which will extend the shopping experience to our customers’ living rooms, and our focus on our environmental credentials, the Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be at the forefront of the trends shaping retail, offering excellent business opportunities for brands when it opens, and far into the future.”
The 270,000 sq ft development will feature up to 90 stores, restaurants and coffee shops in Phase One, with up to 50 more stores proposed for Phase Two.
