McArthurGlen Group, Europe’s leading owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, today announced a record-breaking festive period in the UK reaffirming the enduring appeal of the Group’s prestigious UK portfolio.
Total sales for the seven weeks from the Black Friday period through to 4th January, increased by 7% year-on-year, supported by 5 million visitors, up 3.5% compared with last year.
Record-breaking Black Friday performance
Across the Black Friday period, total sales surged by an impressive 8% year-on-year, marking the strongest Black Friday trading performance in McArthurGlen UK’s history.
Black Friday week alone became the best sales week ever recorded across the McArthurGlen UK estate, with all centres delivering their highest weekly sales on record.
Performance was broad-based across categories, with fashion, sportswear, accessories, beauty and homeware performing particularly well, as guests responded to compelling offers and an elevated outlet experience.
Strong guest engagement and spend
Guest engagement reached new highs during the period, with a 3.5% increase in average spend per guest and 8% increase on number of items sold, driven by attractive customer promotions and strong stock availability from McArthurGlen’s brand partners.
The strength of performance was further supported by an impressive brand line-up, with strong centre occupancy across the UK portfolio, enhancing both choice and experience for guests.
A strong festive peak
The positive momentum continued into December, epitomised by the holiday period where sales were up 9% across the UK Centres becoming the best Christmas trading period ever recorded by McArthurGlen in the UK.
This exceptional performance reflects McArthurGlen’s strategic focus on delivering best-in-class retail environments, curating compelling brand collections, and offering outstanding value and experience during peak trading moments and throughout the year.
John Ralston, managing director, McArthurGlen UK, commented: “This record-breaking period demonstrates the strength of our brand proposition and the continued trust our guests place in McArthurGlen for value and an elevated shopping experience. We are grateful to our brand partners and centre teams for delivering an outstanding festive season.”
