London Designer Outlet (LDO) has announced that during the course of 2024 sales figures grew by 5% to over £103m.
The designer outlet, located in Wembley Park, has attracted shoppers from across London and beyond throughout the last 12 months with footfall increasing by 2% with over 5.4 million people visiting LDO.
The strong sales and footfall growth was helped by LDO reporting its strongest Black Friday ever with sales increasing by 12% on 2023, including £749,000 of sales during the Saturday. Meanwhile, over Christmas LDO’s retailers took over £3.4m in just one week, up 7.8% on 2023, with nearly £1m of sales on Boxing Day, an increase of over 10%.
LDO’s strong sales and footfall figures have been aided by a strong tenant mix which reflects changing London shopper trends. Over the course of the year LDO secured 11 new lettings and relocations totalling 15,759 sq ft. This included the arrival of French Connection and Rituals as well as first outlet stores for Miniso and Abaci, taking their first steps into the market.
Alongside the arrival of new brands, LDO also saw continued commitment by its existing retailers with 18 brands, occupying a total 32,594 sq ft, recommitting their futures to the scheme, and investing to upgrade and enhance their stores.
Meanwhile, LDO has also enhanced its F&B line up after announcing that Afrikana would be opening a new location early in 2025. It is the latest addition to LDO’s F&B offering which currently includes UK favourites such as Nando’s, Zizzi, Wagamama, Pizza Express and Las Iguanas as it continues to ensure it remains a go-to destination for London shoppers.
Matt Slade, retail director at Quintain, said: “Outlet retail continues to be remarkably resilient thanks to the unique in-person retail experience it offers compared to online shopping. As we move into 2025, we expect outlet destinations such as London Designer Outlet to continue to thrive, not only due to the offer value and competitive price point our brands provide, but also the relaxed experience-led environment which online shopping does not offer.
“The past year saw us work closely with new and existing brands to ensure they are presenting the most in demand merchandise ranges which our younger audience of shoppers are targeting. As a result, we have seen really strong sales amongst our lifestyle and footwear brands and LDO has become the best performing outlet stores within our retailers’ European portfolios.
“It has been exciting to welcome new brands to LDO throughout the year, keen to capture our strong footfall which has been aided thanks to Wembley’s bumper 2024 events calendar. During those large events we have seen sales rise this year, and with acts such as Oasis, Dua Lipa, and Coldplay, alongside a packed sporting calendar, we are seeing more brands looking for space at LDO keen not to miss out on this high footfall anticipated for 2025. We are therefore excited for what is in store for outlet retail in 2025 and look forward to welcoming even more new brands which reflect London’s diverse and cosmopolitan population.”
LDO sits at the heart of Wembley Park which has a footfall of 16.4 million per year made up of residents, office workers, day visitors and event goers. Situated just 12 minutes from central London, it is the capital’s best-connected outlet centre and is easily reached by three tube lines, two train lines, eight bus routes, plus ample car parking. It is one of only a few outlet centres in Europe that blends retail, F&B, leisure, and events in an easy-to-reach urban setting.
Managed by Multi-Realm – the UK’s specialist outlet operator – LDO offers 265,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, including 70 outlet stores, restaurants, and coffee shops.
