Outlet specialist McArthurGlen and international fund manager Henderson Global Investors have announced the opening of the second phase of Designer Outlet Berlin, with nearly 10,900 m[sup]2[/sup] of leasable space, of which 8,000 m[sup]2[/sup] is retail. This second phase almost doubles the size of the centre, bringing the total retail space to 16,500 m[sup]2[/sup] with 80 stores.
Outlet specialist McArthurGlen and international fund manager Henderson Global Investors have announced the opening of the second phase of Designer Outlet Berlin, with nearly 10,900 m2 of leasable space, of which 8,000 m2 is retail. This second phase almost doubles the size of the centre, bringing the total retail space to 16,500 m2 with 80 stores.
The EUR 100 mln development, set within a village atmosphere, reflects the architecture of the local Berlin/Brandenburg area.
Germany currently has the lowest rate of designer outlet space in Western Europe, with 0.9 m2 of outlet space per 1,000 inhabitants compared with 10 m2 in the UK and 8.3 m2 in Italy, both being the most developed markets in Europe.
The first phase of Designer Outlet Berlin opened in June 2009 with 8,500 m2 of retail space in 40 units, offering all-year discounts of 30-70% on well-known luxury, designer and high-street brands. Since then, more than a million customers have visited Designer Outlet Berlin, and the centre has experienced a significant growth in footfall and turnover.
These new retail brands to open in the second phase of Designer Outlet Berlin include Belstaff, Converse/Gant Footwear, Cinque, Desigual, Diesel, , Escada, Fossil, Gant, Jack & Jones/Vero Moda, Lacoste, Navyboot, Titus and Tom Tailor Kids. Also, the cult brand Ed Hardy is opening a temporary shop in phase one. They complement the existing brands in phase one, which include Adidas, Calvin Klein, Daniel Hechter, Marc O’Polo, Mexx, Nike and Replay.
Designer Outlet Berlin is the first McArthurGlen designer outlet village to open in Germany, with a second designer outlet village in Neumünster, near Hamburg, due to open in 2012.