Saving It
Village People
First introduced from America in 1993, outlet shopping has become a retail phenomenon. It offers people a purpose-built shopping centre, with a stack of brand names housed under one roof. The retailer gets to sell off surplus stock in a dedicated, upmarket space, and the customer gets access to brand names at low prices. They're clearly a hit - there are now more than 40 purpose-built outlet centres in the UK, not to mention dozens of factory shops that offer goods from specific manufacturers at bargain prices.
Smash hit
Clarks, the shoe manufacturer, pioneered the first purpose-built outlet centre shopping village in the UK, when it opened Clarks Village in Street, Somerset in 1993. From Cornwall to Scotland, there are now more than 40 outlet villages across the country. They tend to have a specific style, built around a mock street, village square or quayside. The idea is to offer an attractive shopping environment, often with leisure facilities and extensive car parking - in marketing speak, to create a 'destination shopping experience in its own right'.
Research shows more than 28% of people in the UK now consider shopping to be a leisure pursuit, which is why these village outlets are designed to make the experience of shopping quite unlike that on a busy high street. As if that's not enough, you can expect to pick up some pretty impressive discounts too.
Cut price
So what kind of savings might you get? Shopping units at outlet centres are run by both manufacturers and retailers, some sell the previous season's stock, others sell end-of-line products or returned merchandise, quality seconds or discontinued lines. Combined with the savings that retailers get by selling in large out-of-town sites, the result is that you can pick up goods at prices much lower than those in the high street.
That amounts to discounts of between 30 to 80%. And if you are prepared to travel, you're certain to find the discounted store you want, be it Marks & Spencers, Burberry, Jaeger or Ted Baker.
Clarks, the shoe manufacturer, pioneered the first purpose-built outlet centre shopping village in the UK, when it opened Clarks Village in Street, Somerset in 1993. From Cornwall to Scotland, there are now more than 40 outlet villages across the country. They tend to have a specific style, built around a mock street, village square or quayside. The idea is to offer an attractive shopping environment, often with leisure facilities and extensive car parking - in marketing speak, to create a 'destination shopping experience in its own right'.
Research shows more than 28% of people in the UK now consider shopping to be a leisure pursuit, which is why these village outlets are designed to make the experience of shopping quite unlike that on a busy high street. As if that's not enough, you can expect to pick up some pretty impressive discounts too.
Cut price
So what kind of savings might you get? Shopping units at outlet centres are run by both manufacturers and retailers, some sell the previous season's stock, others sell end-of-line products or returned merchandise, quality seconds or discontinued lines. Combined with the savings that retailers get by selling in large out-of-town sites, the result is that you can pick up goods at prices much lower than those in the high street.
That amounts to discounts of between 30 to 80%. And if you are prepared to travel, you're certain to find the discounted store you want, be it Marks & Spencers, Burberry, Jaeger or Ted Baker.
Your Comments
- Village People
Love shopping, hate finding clothes that fit properly. Like designers but being a 14 up top and 12 down below their ranges don't seem to stretch to my size, or they just sell out of these sizes quickly! Warehouse is still my favourite high street store and Dune for shoes... Does anyone know of anymore that I could try? - Something to say? Add a comment...
