European outlet lobby association to launch at Mapic

A new organisation representing retailers and developers active in the growing outlet sector in Europe will be launched at the Mapic retail real estate fair in Cannes this week.

Brendon O’Reilly, director of GVA Outlets and a member of the new European Outlet Retailer and Developers Association (ORDA), said the outlet sector is one of the fastest-growing, best-performing and profitable sectors in the European retail marketplace. However, there has been very little information, research, understanding, press coverage or statistics for the sector, partly because outlets do not have a specific trade body.

O'Reilly: 'ORDA has been set up by a small number of outlet industry leaders aware of the need to move, what had started as a small and unknown area of the industry, into the forefront of the marketplace as it had now become a highly credible, constantly expanding and unique retail sector.'

'Over the past three years there has been a range of research and a steering group set up to look at what the industry wanted, the developers and retailers needs and how these could be met. The result is ORDA.'

The official launch of ORDA takes place at the GVA Outlets Stand (08.28) at Mapic at 11am on 19 November.