Northern Ireland’s premier outlet destination, The Boulevard, continue to buck national retail trends with a record-breaking performance in August 2024 with sales up +6.7%, making last month the best ever August on record at the scheme.With a stream of new tenants opening across the summer months, retailer confidence is on the up at The Boulevard. Iconic UK menswear brand Ben Sherman took its first steps towards its return to the UK high street in August, opening their first Northern Ireland outlet store at the scheme.
The Boulevard, located on the A1 corridor between Belfast and Dublin, continues to see a high volume of visitors from both sides of the border who were splurging for the summer at the outlet, as the August Bank Holiday reached a +19% increase on sales and +5% growth in footfall compared to August 2023.
One of the UK’s fastest growing leisure operators, Hollywood Bowl Group, is headed for its second location in Northern Ireland at The Boulevard, with plans to open at the scheme by the summer of 2025. Forming part of The Boulevard’s £9m redevelopment plan, Hollywood Bowl will begin to transform the western part of the outlet, creating a ‘Food and Entertainment Quarter’ spanning 60,000sq ft.
The Boulevard is managed by Lotus Property and advised on leasing by Johnstone Property Consultants and KLM Real Estate.
Chris Nelmes, retail director at The Boulevard, commented: “This summer has been The Boulevard’s best on record. It is very encouraging to see such a staggering increase in sales and footfall this summer from both sides of the border. We invested more than ever in our summer activities this year for the summer of sport and ensured there was an entertaining programme for our customers to enjoy.
“It is a testament to how The Boulevard and its tenants are performing and the hard work that is going into the scheme, that we are consistently seeing an increase in both sales and footfall.”
Paul McCann, asset manager at Lotus Property, added: “The Boulevard has gone from strength to strength so far this year and this summer has indicated how both the retailer confidence and strong customer loyalty is paramount to the scheme’s success.”
“The range of new and upcoming stores we have at The Boulevard stands true to the strong customer demographics we have built since acquiring the scheme in 2016, providing retailers with the confidence to invest.”
