Nike Expands Its Footprint at the London Designer Outlet
In February 2022 London Designer Outlet at Wembley Park announced that Nike would enlarge its store there by 68%, growing from 9,200 to 15,500 sq ft. The centre is part of developer Quintain's transformation of the 85-acre Wembley Park neighbourhood, and Nike was due to take possession of the new unit that month after almost eight years of trading.
The upsized store will feature Nike's recently launched Unite concept, which aims to link local people more closely with sport, including a community wall showing the store team and local partners, and design details drawing on nearby landmarks. While the work proceeds, Nike will trade from a pop-up of about 10,000 sq ft in the upper mall, with the permanent store opening to the public in the second quarter of 2022.
The announcement follows other expansions at the outlet. adidas increased its store by 63% a few months earlier. Tommy Hilfiger trebled its space going from 2,500 to 7,800 sq ft the previous week, and Calvin Klein grew by 50%, taking it from 2,700 to 4,100 sq ft, on 27 January. Other sportswear names already trading there include PUMA, Converse, Champion, ASICS, Vans, New Balance and The North Face, and the centre expects continued demand for athleisure.
Run by outlet specialist Realm, London Designer Outlet has 70 outlet stores within 265,000 sq ft of shops and leisure space and discounts of up to 70%. Quintain's retail director, Matt Slade, said Nike's decision showed how compelling the destination is, pointing to the upsizing by Nike, adidas and Tommy Hilfiger, and noting that many brands have been there since opening. Wembley Park is served by three tube lines, two train lines and eight bus routes.
Source: UK Property Forums, original article (17 February 2022)
