The Grantham Designer Outlet Village has announced new premium fashion brands that will feature at the £100M development when it opens in Summer 2023.

Rioja Estates, the developers behind the scheme says the names signal strength in the physical retail and outlet sector, and further strides towards their scheme becoming the leading designer outlet destination in the East Midlands.

The move today comes on the eve of the Planning Committee of South Kesteven District Council debating slightly revised plans for a rival scheme at the opposite end of the Grantham by-pass.

As Nub News revealed recently , Oldrid & Co seek to build a £125M scheme that promises more than 1,700 but SKDC planning staff doubt that both schemes will be built.

Today, Rioja announced that premium fashion brands Armani and Levi's are the latest brands to be starting legal negotiations alongside several other globally-recognised fashion, retail and hospitality brands at site close to the A1 junction with the Grantham Southern Relief Road.

In total, just under a fifth of the first phase Grantham Designer Outlet Village – which has started works on-site and is therefore on track to open in just under two years – is already under offer to some of the UK and the world's most desirable brands, demonstrating the destination's appeal amongst aspirational brands.

Alongside a selection of restaurants and coffee shops, the first phase of the Grantham Designer Outlet Village will bring up to 90 premium and globally-recognised, high street and independent labels to the region, all priced at up to 70 per cent off the RRP.

The second phase is set to bring a further 50 internationally-recognised brands.

Complementary to the in-store shopping experience, the Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be the first new designer outlet in the UK to offer a transactional website via its partner Wishibam, which will allow shoppers to browse and buy fashion, footwear and accessories online from the designer outlet's participating brands.

Despite the challenges of the pandemic, the changing retail landscape and the shift to online shopping, plus concerns about the impact of the UK having left the European Union, on site works began on the Grantham Designer Outlet Village in March this year, and Rioja says the scheme has drawn significant interest from brands that are based outside of the region, which will give shoppers in the region access to these popular brands without the need to travel long distances.

Giles Membrey, Managing Director of Rioja Estates, said: "We're on track, and delighted with the progress we are making with brands that we know locals and visitors from afar will want to shop and experience.

"The Grantham Designer Outlet Village will bring premium fashion and retail brands within comfortable driving distance of the likes of Nottingham, Leicester, Cambridge, Peterborough and Lincoln.

"Beyond those benefits to shoppers, the scheme will bring over £100 million in direct investment to the region and create around 1,500 permanent jobs when it opens, bringing tremendous opportunities for local residents and businesses."

With 3.5 million visitors expected, trends from existing outlet villages suggest that Grantham town centre and local attractions can expect around an additional 350,000 new visitors per year, or an average of nearly 1,000 per day, thanks to shoppers also visiting the designer outlet village.

The Grantham Designer Outlet Village will bring with it a new, high-quality bus infrastructure shuttling between the station, town centre, and the outlet village, both to provide easy access to Grantham residents and those visiting from farther afield to the designer outlet village.

Rioja says the new transport links put in place by it will further encourage visitors from across the East Midlands to visit Grantham town centre and enjoy the local and independent shops on the high street.

Rioja Estates is developing the scheme in partnership with Buckminster, the family-owned, Grantham-based property investor, which has a centuries-old relationship with the town and a vested interest in ensuring the town centre thrives as a landlord of many of the high street businesses.

Rioja says the Grantham Designer Outlet Village will be a welcome addition to the area, providing affordable high-end fashion and a wholly different shopping experience.

Featuring an aspirational range of brands in up to 90 premium, high street and independent fashion, sports, home and lifestyle stores when phase one opens in 2023. The designer outlet village will be home to as many as 50 more brands when phase two is complete.

The developer added the design of the Grantham Designer Outlet Village is inspired by the surrounding Lincolnshire countryside, featuring architecture that combines traditional forms and contemporary finishes to create a high-quality environment with shop fronts that enhance the area.

Promising a focus on providing a better future for Grantham residents, the new destination already claims a BREEAM very good accreditation for sustainability as it aims to focus on sustainably-resourced materials in its construction, and on environmental-friendly features when it opens.

More information can be found here.