McArthurGlen Centre, Malaga, is home to a unique collection of over 100 brands
It has been a bountiful summer for McArthur Designer Outlet Centre, Malaga’s hip shopping complex that is a major magnet for tourists making a beeline for the Spanish Riviera.
The Centre, which combines nearly 90 boutiques, has broken its visitor records this summer, surpassing the two million mark. McArthurGlen, situated next to Plaza Mayor, in the city centre says it has closed its best summer ever. And it does so both in terms of sales growth, with an increase of 36 pc, and the number of visitors, with 2.2 million in the period June 1-August 31, 2022, representing a growth of 30 pc compared to the same period last year.
‘‘We are very satisfied with these figures, which show that we have consolidated our position in the province just within two years,’’ says Javier Mendizabal, head of McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Málaga.
McArthurGlen Group is Europe’s leading owner, developer, and manager of designer outlets. The company was founded in Europe by the Kaempfer Partners in 1993. A pioneer of designer outlet retailing in Europe, McArthurGlen has since developed 695,000 sqm of retail space. The company currently manages 26 designer outlets in 10 countries namely Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the UK.
According to a press release, the Centre in Malaga has become a great economic engine for the area. As for the origin of international visitors, it is worth noting that most of them come from Morocco, the Middle East – especially Kuwait – and the United Kingdom.
The balance of the summer shows other interesting data, such as the increase in sales in the luxury and premium segments, which shows that customers are largely opting for higher quality items. ‘‘Thanks to discounts, this means enjoying good value for money and more responsible consumption, with purchases that last longer in the wardrobe,’’ adds Mendizabal.
In addition to existing brands such as Prada, Roberto Cavalli and Ermenegildo Zegna, among others, the centre also recently welcomed the the French brand Moncler, which specialises in haute couture and pret-a-porter outerwear. There are now 90 boutiques in this area, which employs a total of 630 professionals in the sector.
The Centre, which will be open from Monday to Sunday until 30 September, is almost fully occupied. However, it will culminate with the forthcoming opening of two brands that are sure to arouse great expectation among visitors: Purificacion Garcia and Carolina Herrera.
Committed space
McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Málaga is a shopping, leisure and experience space committed to art as it has close ties with the Museo Carmen Thyssen Málaga. It is also seriously committed to sustainability and the environment. In this line, says Mendizábal, the centre continues in the process of reducing to zero the waste to landfill with the objective set in December for its certification.
Along the same lines, work is being done to create new shaded areas to improve the shopping experience and customer visits. Smart water meters are also being installed to reduce water consumption in the centre and to detect possible leaks in real time. Similarly, he adds, the team continues to work towards Breeam certification, a benchmark sustainable building certification.
In the same way, the Centre will soon announce actions that are part of the celebration of the International Day against Climate Change and that it will share with its visitors to add initiatives that help to promote and disseminate the need to take care of our environment.
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