• French Connection reported strong sales activity during their opening weekend
  • Beauty specialists Rituals is set to open its new store at the designer outlet at the end of the month
  • Both lettings follow LDO’s strongest-ever sales performance outside of December with £10 million of sales reported in August

London Designer Outlet (LDO) has announced the arrival of two new international brands with French Connection and Rituals taking space at the premium outlet shopping destination at the heart of Wembley Park.

Renowned for its diverse range of stylish and high-quality womenswear, menswear, accessories, and footwear, French Connection opened its 1,919 sq ft store last weekend after agreeing a three-year lease. The international brand which seamlessly blends trendy design with timeless classics, ensuring it remains the go-to destination for those seeking modern, sophisticated, and effortlessly cool wardrobe staples, reported a strong opening weekend with LDO shoppers flocking to the new store to take advantage of its 20 percent off opening offer.

Meanwhile, specialists in luxurious bath, body and home products, Rituals, is set to open its new 2,434 sq ft store at the end of October after signing a 10-year lease. Rituals prioritises people and the planet, with products developed using ingredients of natural origin that help to transform daily routines and help connect and balance body, mind and soul.

Both stores will be located on Level 1 and will complement LDO’s existing array of leading brands.

The signing of French Connection and Rituals comes after LDO reported a record-breaking August with sales growing by 12.5 percent year-on-year, exceeding £10 million. This was LDO’s strongest-ever sales performance outside of December and follows a blockbuster summer when sales reached almost £29 million in June, July and August thanks to a series of major shows and events taking place at Wembley Stadium.

Matt Slade, Retail Director at Quintain, said: “It is great to welcome two more high-quality brands to LDO as we continue to diversify our retail offering. We expect both French Connection and Rituals to be popular with LDO shoppers thanks to their fantastic array of products, and these expectations are already proving true with French Connection reporting such a strong opening weekend of sales.

Having a diverse mix of leading international brands who continue to invest in their stores to enhance the shopping experience for customers is why LDO retailers continue to report such strong sales figures. To ensure we continue to attract shoppers from across London and beyond, we hope to announce further new arrivals in the coming weeks to both our retail and F&B line ups as we strengthen our position as London’s outlet powerhouse.”

Attracting over 5.5 million visitors per year, 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.

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