Realm, the specialist asset manager, has signed premium fashion and lifestyle brands Reiss, GUESS, Under Armour and Kids Around to join Livingston Designer Outlet, Scotland’s largest and most high-profile outlet scheme.
Global fashion brand, Reiss, will be bringing its stylish, modern, accessible luxury clothing and accessory offering to a 1,812 sq ft unit in the scheme. Elsewhere, GUESS will be introducing its iconic denim and fashionwear into a 4,084 sq ft unit, alongside American athleisure brand, Under Armour, which has signed to take 2,752 sq ft. This will be the first shop for the sportswear outlet in Scotland.
Kids Around will be opening later this year and will be stocking children’s collections from the finest premium designer brands including Boss, Timberland, Billieblush, Billybandit and Carrement Beau. This 2,200 sq ft store will have a large range of boys and Girls collections, from 0 to 16 years. This will be its ninth store to open in the UK and its fourth Designer Outlet.
All have signed on 10-year lease terms and demonstrate Realm’s ongoing enhancement of the premium tenant mix at the centre. The news also demonstrates the increased demand from premium brands for high-quality outlet space.
Testament to Realm’s holistic asset management approach to aligning asset initiatives with customer demands and tenant needs, the lettings come hot on the heels of a deal with global designer underwear and fashion brand, Calvin Klein. The retailer has taken a 2,359 sq ft unit across two units, which were merged to create the space before the introduction of its iconic shop-fit.
Luci Vardy, Head of Operations at Reiss, said: “We are delighted to have opened an outlet store in Livingston with Realm, this builds upon an already thriving business for Reiss in Scotland with successful main line stores in Glasgow and Edinburgh. The outlet model is an extremely popular way of shopping so we are pleased that we have been able to provide this new retail experience to our customers in Scotland. Realm is a fantastic partner for this new venture and I am excited for the future development of the centre which I believe will go from strength to strength.”
Christine Grace, Leasing Director of Realm, commented: “These exciting new brands are excellent additions to the existing line-up of high-end premium brands at Livingston Designer Outlet. They join names such as Hugo Boss, Tommy Hilfiger, Ted Baker, Lacoste Fred Perry and Kurt Geiger and support the premium retail experience, which we are developing throughout the scheme. Not only are we introducing in-demand brands to Livingston, and in doing so adding to the growing popularity of the scheme, we are also seeing appetite grow from retailers to open outlet stores. These are well-placed to take advantage of both the flourishing outlet retail model and Livingston’s reputation as the go-to premium retail outlet in Scotland.”
Realm has been carrying out a proactive asset management strategy at Livingston Designer Outlet since 2013, which now offers over 70 boutiques, restaurants and cafés, as well as an 8-screen digital Vue Cinema. In addition, on-going design development for a £7 million customer journey project will commence this year.