Outlet Shopping

Outlet shopping is the retail phenomenon of the new Millennium. An idea originally imported from the United States where there are currently more than 250 such centres. It burgeoned in the UK with Clarks Village in Somerset and has now spread all over the country and into Europe.

REALM Ltd, the management company behind this centre, is spearheading the growth of outlet centre shopping, committing itself to creating specialised retail environments that welcome both the shopper and the retailer/occupier.

The concept

Before 1993, outlet centres in Britain tended to be sited as part of manufacturers' operations in warehouse-style buildings. They had a 'pile them high, sell them cheap' ethos, selling mostly defective goods and seconds.

By contrast, the US concept offered shoppers purpose-built shopping malls, with all the brand names housed under one roof. This benefited the retailer, who could sell surplus stock in a dedicated, upmarket selling space with minimum overheads, and the customer, who had access to top brand names at outlet prices, within an attractive shopping environment.

How Clarks imported the idea into the UK

In 1993, Clarks, the UK based shoe manufacturer, was looking for a way of putting to profitable use its redundant shoe factory buildings. Noting the success of the resident outlet shop, it decided to expand and add an entire 'village' of shops. Paved walkways, landscaped gardens, children's play areas and cafés encouraged visitors to view it as a 'day out for all the family'.

Clarks Properties consulted widely with outlet centre developers in the US, taking some aspects from successful centres and adapting others. The Street location in Somerset met all the requirements, being on the outskirts of a town or city, within easy reach of motorways and other nearby tourist attractions. It is now perceived as a 'destination shopping experience' in its own right.

Fast facts & figures

In the UK, outlet schemes are defined as dedicated mall-style developments, often built around a mock street, village square or quay-side. They offer an attractive shopping environment, often with leisure content and extensive car parking provision. These developments should offer a mix of recognised big brands selling end-of-range stock at substantial discounts.
There are now more than 40 purpose-built outlet's trading.
However, more outlet's are currently under construction with more on the drawing board.
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.
Units at outlet centres are run by both manufacturers and retailers, selling previous season’s stock, end-of-line products, cancelled orders, some quality seconds, discontinued lines and returned merchandise at prices much lower than those in the High Street, normally discounted between 30 – 80%
Consumer rights are not affected by buying goods in outlet centres and shoppers are entitled to their money back if something is faulty or was not pointed out to them at the time of buying.
Research shows that more than 28% of people in the UK consider shopping to be a leisure pursuit.