London Designer Outlet welcomes wave of new brands following continued trading growth

•  London Designer Outlet announces deals with new brands Ben Sherman and Lids
• Existing brands Sunglass Hut and Sony are the latest retailers at the LDO to invest in significant store upgrades
• The news follows continued trading growth for the LDO, with a record-breaking May trading and year-on-year growth in June

London Designer Outlet (the LDO) has announced several new deals and upsizes at the fashion and lifestyle destination. Fashion and accessories brands Ben Sherman and Lids will take over 2,000 sq ft of newly leased space combined. 

Lids the largest brick-and-mortar retailer of licensed sports apparel has opened a new 702 sq ft store at the LDO. Ben Sherman will take up 1,339-square-foot for its range of menswear, including its signature button-downs and house check shirts. 

Long-standing brands at the LDO, Sunglass Hut and Sony, have also invested further in their commitment to the outlet destination, relocating into larger units by C. 20 percent and C. 50 percent respectively. The brands are the latest in a long line of store upsizes at the outlet destination, which has seen existing brands take over 21,000 sq ft of additional space over the last four years. 

Following 11 years at the centre, Sunglass Hut has signed for a further ten years. Sony, which has traded at the LDO for nine years, has signed for a further five years.  

The larger Sunglass Hut store will enable the retailer to add further lines to its existing offer. The upgraded store incorporates a smart shopper screen that lets customers virtually try on styles and benefit from a face scanner for frame advice. 

This latest surge of deals comes as the outlet celebrates continued trading growth with a second record-breaking May in a row, surpassing 2023’s record by 7 percent recording a staggering £8,643,999 in sales. Continuing May’s success, June recorded year-on-year growth of 7.4 percent, reaching £8,924,03 – the month’s strongest trading since before the pandemic.  

Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “The continued investment by brands into their offer at the LDO, alongside another record-breaking trading month, highlights the destination’s appeal for both retailers and shoppers.  

Today’s consumers expect more from their in-store shopping experience, and outlet destinations are not immune to this expectation. At the LDO, where we have welcomed a volume of impressive new flagship concepts in recent years such as Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, adidas, Levi’s and The North Face, we are seeing our brands reap the rewards. 

We also know our brand partners see significant positive impact from the year round programme of major events at Wembley Park. With this summer set to be history-making, with performances by Taylor Swift, AC/DC and Bruce Springsteen at Wembley Stadium, the LDO is well-positioned to welcome record levels of visitors.” 

Rob Beirne, Design Director, Ben Sherman said: “As we progress the strategic rollout of our brand expansion into the coolest highstreets and destinations in the UK, the unique blend of culture, entertainment, and shopping on offer at the LDO makes it the perfect home for our new store.”  

Kyle Dickerson, Sr Director of International Real Estate and Corporate Development, Lids said: “With our vast customer base of sports, music and culture fans, we feel that there is no better location for our latest store than next door to the national stadium. At Lids we have an ambitious growth plan, and with its strong footfall throughout the year the LDO is a great platform to help us achieve this.” 

The LDO, managed by MultiRealm, the UK’s specialist outlet operator, is one of only a few outlets that blends retail, F&B, leisure and events in an easy-to-reach urban setting. It features 265,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, including 70 outlet stores, and offers guests year-round discounts of up to 70 percent. 

London Designer Outlet is at the heart of Wembley Park, which features plentiful transport links. Minutes from central London, Wembley Park is easily reached by three tube lines, two train lines, eight bus routes plus ample car parking.