Next to open at the Outlet

The announcement follows the opening of Mamas & Papas Outlet earlier this year and means that Next Clearance will join Gap Outlet, M&S Outlet, the Nike Factory Store, Jaeger, Timberland, and Armani Collections as another major anchor tenant at the scheme.

The thriving high street retailer has been working with The Outlet team to create a bespoke large scale retail unit, Next Clearance store. The retail offer will focus on childrenswear, homeware, menswear and womenswear, and will be drawing clearance stock, sold at discount rates, from their 500 retail units throughout the UK and Ireland.

Chris Nelmes, Centre Manager at The Outlet commented: “We are delighted to be able to announce Next Clearance as a new anchor tenant at The Outlet. The brand is one of the best performing retailers on the high street and will act as a key footfall driver to the scheme, alongside our other established anchor tenants, M&S Outlet, Gap Outlet, the Nike Factory Store, Jaeger, Timberland and Armani Collections.

“The brand is an excellent addition to our tenant mix, particularly in terms of our family offering, and brings with it a very strong customer base. A key attraction for Next was the centre’s location on the main Belfast to Dublin road, making it ideally situated for shoppers from both sides of the border.”

The signing represents the third brand to open at The Outlet in 2011 and, according to Fergus Byrne of Glenrye Property Services, the Asset Managers of the scheme who put the deal together, it is one of the biggest leasing deals to have taken place in Northern Ireland this year: “Next Clearance are a major retailer and they clearly recognise the potential of the scheme – very few units of this scale are being leased in this market, so to secure Next Clearance illustrates their confidence in The Outlet.”

The Outlet is the largest dedicated retail outlet centre in Ireland, and is home to over 55 designer and high street outlet stores, including exclusive brands available in no other outlet centre in Ireland.

Next Clearance is the first of a range of initiatives that are being delivered by The Outlet new owners to enhance the customer offer and onsite experience. The aim is to build on the centre’s key strengths – including it’s location for shoppers from both sides of the border, the strong tenant line-up, and the award winning shopping environment. The scheme is the largest retail employer in the district, employing over 550 staff.