Continental Europe’s fastest-expanding owner-operator of premium fashion outlets by gross lettable area (GLA) over the past decade, recorded a 20 per cent like-for-like increase in brand sales across its 11 pan-European centres in the first quarter of 2023 versus Q1 2022.
The increase was driven mainly by a post-pandemic resurgence in tourism, multiple new brand openings and higher net spending per visitor. Total footfall rose by 13.3 per cent in Q1 over the first three months of last year, while slightly lagging the same pre-Covid period of 2019. But guest spend per visit jumped 21.4 per cent between January to March this year over the comparable first quarter of 2019 and was up 6.2 per cent on Q1 2022.
Otto Ambagtsheer, CEO of VIA Outlets, said: “VIA Outlets had a very strong start to 2023. We had 6.2 million guests visit our pan-European centres in the first three months of this year, finding a growing number of new brands there to welcome them. This year has, so far, been notable for the continuation of the resurgence in brand sales we saw during the fourth quarter of 2022. It’s clear that the rapid recovery has been supported by the competitive prices our guests can find in our outlets, particularly during periods of economic downturn. But also due to the continuing intensive investment we have made in our 3R-Strategy of remerchandising, remodelling and remarketing over the course of the pandemic, which has played its part in the record brand sales we’re experiencing currently. We have also had several new extensions opening, or are planned in the pipeline, at our centres to provide a revitalised experience for guests, including the many tourists from Europe and beyond coming to our fashion outlets again.”
