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Managing editor Duke Ratliff spoke with Giles Membrey, managing director of Rioja Estates, which is developing the £100 million (about $130 million) Grantham Designer Outlet Village, set to open in south Lincolnshire, England, in the summer of 2021. The 270,000-square-foot property, which also involves local investor Buckminster, will feature 130 brands and offer some 1,800 parking spaces.
VRN: What will make Grantham Designer Outlet Village unique?
Membrey: We’re creating a state-of-the-art retail destination that will transform our visitors’ shopping-and-leisure experience. The outlet village will be inspired by Grantham’s beautiful surrounding countryside. Therefore, our buildings are conceived as traditional forms with contemporary finishes and high-quality shop fronts. Also unique in the region will be the choice of designer-branded stores which can’t be found elsewhere. We also want to support existing local retail, so we will be including a pop-up shop which will support local artisans and business. This pop-up unit can be used to promote their brand and add an extra flair that you will only get at Grantham Designer Outlet Village.
Why is Grantham a good outlet location?
Grantham is in the heart of the U.K., on the U.K.’s third-busiest highway [A1], with an affluent city and suburban population. The main reason that there hasn’t been an outlet offering already is that there was no A1 junction to south of [Grantham], closer to London. I looked it up. Junction is the same as “connection.” So there was previously no close connection. However, with the start of works in September on the new Grantham South A1 junction, going north-south, and the new Grantham Southern Relief Road going through the same junction, opening the east-west routes, it now provides an excellent location. So with fantastic road links and the rail transport link going from London to Edinburgh, Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be the U.K.’s only premium outlet with a visible frontage on the A1 and within an hour of London on trains running every 30 minutes. Grantham Designer Outlet Village will draw on a vast and affluent catchment area, including Nottingham, Leicester, Derby, Peterborough, Lincoln and Cambridge.
You market the property as an urban center, near the heart of Grantham. What are the challenges and benefits to being an urban outlet center?
Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be an integral part of the local community, with easy access to Grantham town center and a shuttle bus from the town center and train station to encourage trips to and from the town center. The newly constructed junction on the A1 will provide direct access to the site, allowing locals and tourists to access the outlet village easily. The outlet village is expected to drive 3.5 million visitors to the local area every year. The plan has always been to encourage tourist visitors to take linked trips to the outlet and vice versa. Grantham Designer Outlet Village is already building links with local tourist attractions through direct relationships and via South Kesteven District Council and Lincolnshire County Council. Primary local tourist attractions include Burghley House, Belton House and Belvoir Castle, which together already attract an annual footfall of over 580,000.