Citylife in Rugeley and Cannock Chase May June 2021

Designer Outlet’s Long-
Awaited Opening!
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The highly-anticipated McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West
Midlands opened its doors to customers at 10am on Monday
12th April, providing shoppers across the UK with one of the
country’s finest open-air retail and leisure experiences. Located in
Cannock, the £160 million centre offers up to 80 iconic brands in
its first phase, with year-round savings of up to 60 per cent.
Underlining the centre’s excellent fashion credentials is a collection of
sought-after international names, including Coach, Kate Spade, Hugo
Boss, Levi’s, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Reiss,
Kurt Geiger, Gant, Radley and Joules, all set in an exceptionally designed
shopping environment.
Completing the line-up of leading sportswear and athleisure brands
are Adidas, Under Armour and Skechers, while Starbucks and Five Guys
are the first much-loved food and beverage brands to open, with their
restaurants overlooking the Mill Green Nature Reserve. Shoppers can
also look forward to a host of exciting arrivals in the coming weeks,
including the openings of Nike, Wagamama and Asics.
To ensure that all customers enjoy a memorable day out when visiting,
the centre features a one-of-a-kind children’s adventure playground
that’s adjacent to the nature reserve, as well as luxury guest amenities,
a dancing fountain, a bespoke sculpture and a Changing Places facility.
Commenting on the opening, Centre Manger, Mike Thomas, said:
“We’re open! It’s been a long time coming, but we’re up and running, and
we are thrilled to welcome visitors from the local community, the
region and even further afield. The pandemic has affected every aspect
of life, so I’m delighted to be here today, seeing people start their new
jobs, seeing visitors safely shopping and enjoying a day out, and seeing
the start of what is going to be a shopping and leisure destination that
provides our customers with one of the finest retail experiences
around.”
To create a greener, more sustainable retail destination for customers
to enjoy, the centre includes around 400 newly planted trees, along with
solar panels, on-site beehives, a wormery, electric car charging points
and bicycle parking. It also provides direct access to the adjacent nature
reserve and its network of footpaths, encouraging local shoppers to visit
on foot.
The centre is Bureau Veritas Safeguard Covid-19 certified, with a wide
range of health and safety measures in place to keep customers safe and
enhance their wellbeing. These include hand sanitiser stations
throughout the mall, complimentary face masks available in guest
services, social distancing signs in the centre, queue management
systems and store capacity limits, as well as increased cleaning rotas.
Spanning 285,000 square feet in total over two phases, the centre will
create 1,000 new jobs and support around £20 million of employment
income each year. A partnership with Walsall College for a new training
academy has helped connect local people to job opportunities with the
various brands.
Bob Kean, Acting Managing Director for Cannock Chase Council, said:
“Despite the global pandemic, McArthurGlen Designer Outlet West
Midlands is open! It looks amazing and we’re immensely proud to have
this designer outlet in our District. We look forward to the ongoing
benefits it will bring to residents, the area and the local economy.”
Designer Outlet West Midlands is McArthurGlen’s seventh British
centre, joining its leading destinations in Ashford, Bridgend, Cheshire
Oaks, East Midlands, Swindon and York, and it is the group’s 26th
location across Europe and in Canada. The arrival of the landmark
shopping centre is a significant moment for McArthurGlen, as it marks
the group’s first UK opening in over 20 years as well as a return to the
market where it introduced the concept of designer outlet retailing in
Europe with Cheshire Oaks in 1995.
The centre has been brought to life as a joint venture between
McArthurGlen, Aviva Investors and the Richardson family.
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