McArthurGlen has entered into a partnership with fashion and retail entrepreneur, Thomas Dankbar of Hütten Holding, the owner and developer of the Ochtrup outlet near Münster, northwest Germany.

McArthurGlen has entered into a partnership with fashion and retail entrepreneur, Thomas Dankbar of Hütten Holding, the owner and developer of the Ochtrup outlet near Münster, northwest Germany.

The new venture will see market leader McArthurGlen take a majority stake in the Ochtrup outlet and become the manager of the 18,000 m2 centre.

With over two million visitors expected this year, Ochtrup Outlet is currently home to 65 stores with brands including Nike, Adidas, Liebeskind, Lacoste, Esprit, Bogner and Tom Taylor.

McArthurGlen Group manages 21 centres in nine countries, including two designer outlets in Germany: McArthurGlen Berlin and McArthurGlen Neumünster, near Hamburg, which is northern Germany’s largest designer outlet.

The group is also investing a further €150 mln in what it says will become its fourth German outlet after Ochtrup, McArthurGlen Remscheid near Cologne, which is due to open in 2017.

Gary Bond, McArthurGlen’s managing director of development, said: 'We’re delighted to be working with Thomas Dankbar and his team and are confident we will add value through our extensive brand relationships and our international experience of DOC management. We also look forward to working closely with him to secure permission to extend the centre by a further 8,000 m2 sales area. I hope this will be the first of many new partnerships across Europe.'