London Designer Outlet (LDO) at Wembley Park marked its fifth anniversary in October with its 20th consecutive quarter of sales growth. Its consistently strong sales have been achieved even while the High Street and full price retail has struggled. The results further demonstrate the on-going resilience of outlet shopping compared to other retail sectors.
Total revenue has risen a massive +97% from November 2013 – October 2014, compared with the same period in the past year, November 2017 – October 2018. Total revenue during October 2018, rose +6.3% year-on-year compared with October 2017. In the same period, footwear increased +18% helped by strong performances from Converse, in the brand’s first standalone store; and in Clarks thanks to strong back-to-school sales. The athleisure-wear offer at the centre increased by +11.3%; whilst f&b grew by +9.4%, bucking the national trend in the casual-dining sector.
London’s leading fashion and lifestyle outlet centre maintained a consistently strong performance across its first five years. Annual footfall has risen to 7.0 million since October 2013. This is more than double the number that go to Wembley Stadium and The SSE Arena, Wembley combined each year.
Sue Shepherd, Realm’s Centre Manager for LDO, said: “We have the largest and most densely populated catchment of any UK outlet centre. Our average guest age is just 32, the youngest of any UK outlet, showing how we meet the demands of next-generation shoppers and how we are well positioned to meet the needs of the thousands of new office workers and residents coming in to Wembley Park, London’s largest regeneration area. We are also delighted to welcome growing numbers of international and domestic tourists who take advantage of the keen prices and facilities such as tax-free refunds on site and shop-and-drop and, soon, our store-to-door delivery service, to enhance their shopping experiences.”
LDO is a premium urban retail and leisure destination that offers aspirational and desirable brands at up to 70% off RRP throughout the year – and at up to 85% off during seasonal sale periods such as Black Friday. Its famous fashion, athleisure and lifestyle stores include Converse, Nike, Kurt Geiger, Superdry, Guess, Lee Wrangler, Gap, Skechers, The North Face, Levi’s, M&S, Villeroy & Boch and Hamleys. The wide choice of 20 restaurants and bars, offering nearly 2,000 covers, includes wagamama, Nando’s, PizzaExpress, Zizzi, Cabana, and Las Iguanas.
Visitors are attracted by the appeal of well-priced major retail names, a wide range of popular places to eat, drink and relax with friends, a fresh, modern environment, a nine-screen Cineworld and LDO’s ease of access. London’s most accessible outlet centre, LDO is just 12 minutes from central London and is served by three Tube lines, two train lines, eight bus routes and has ample onsite car parking. This makes reaching LDO quick and simple for those living in and around greater London plus the millions of visitors and tourists to the capital each year. More than 70% of guests travel by public transport to LDO, especially via the Jubilee or Metropolitan Lines to Wembley Park Tube station, which is included in the Mayor of London’s Night Tube initiative.
Reflecting the diversity of guests and its fast-growing tourism business, LDO has embraced several cultural initiatives, from foreign language speakers in Guest Services to Halal and vegetarian dining options in LDO’s many restaurants and coffee shops. Overseas tourists are increasingly seeing LDO as an important part of their trips to the UK. As a result, some 20% of LDO guests are international visitors meaning that tax-free sales are 17% ahead of UK market trends to date in 2018. Of those from outside the EU the most popular areas in 2018 were China including Hong Kong and Taiwan, plus India and the Middle East.
Since opening, London’s original outlet centre has gained a reputation for innovation, adding to its already impressive tenant mix. Converse, H&M and HARIBO launched their first UK outlet stores there. From 1st December, LDO will be the first UK shopping centre to offer home, office or hotel delivery anywhere in mainland Britain via Dropit, the app-based, store-to-door delivery service. This hands-free shopping experience means guests’ purchases bought at any of LDO’s 50 outlet stores can be gathered together and swiftly delivered to homes, hotels or workplaces in just one delivery at a time and date of their choosing, with same-day deliveries available. This combines the best of in-store and digital shopping.
LDO is at the heart of Wembley Park, London’s newest creative district and one of Europe’s largest urban regeneration schemes. The 85-acre redevelopment is owned by Quintain which is investing £1.5m a day in an ambitious vision, building on a legendary past and iconic heritage. As a result, LDO guests can also enjoy London’s premier new neighbourhood where there is a merging of retail, dining, leisure, entertainment, public events, residential homes, spaces for start-ups and artists’ studios and imaginative use of social spaces. Additionally, there are world-class attractions at Wembley Stadium, The SSE Arena, Wembley and, from December, at Boxpark Wembley. The area expects to attract over 20 million visitors a year by 2020.
LDO is owned by Quintain and managed by Realm, the UK’s specialist retail and leisure asset management company.
