Work is underway on the leisure anchor for Cotswolds Designer Outlet, a retail and leisure destination currently under construction in one of the UK’s tourist hotspots.
The 74,000sq ft Dobbies Garden Centre is set to be the largest in South West England and will include a 10,000sq ft restaurant in addition to Dobbies’ full range of plants, gardening products, outdoor living, pets, gifts and toys, as well as a cookshop and home décor.
Cotswolds Designer Outlet is a 180-acre mixed-use scheme by developer Robert Hitchins. When complete, it is expected to be a major draw in an area that benefits from a catchment that includes Bristol and Birmingham as well as the millions of tourists visiting the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty each year.
The outlet will offer 16,00sq ft of cafés and restaurants, as well as fashion, footwear and lifestyle brands. It will be leased and managed by Realm, specialist operators of designer outlets and retail destinations.
Expected to generate sales of £88.6m a year, attaining an average sales density of £455/sq ft, Cotswolds Designer Outlet is expected to perform to a similar standard to London Designer Outlet, which is also managed by Realm.
The outlet shopping is expected to open in autumn 2023.