30 COMMERCIALISATION
McArthurGlen adopts strategic approach to commercialisation
A dress made of flowers, a miniature railway, package tours, tax-free shopping and bamboo gazebo’s are some of the unique and quirky products and activities McArthurGlen is working on as part of its commercialisation strategy
Against a backdrop of tough economic times, McArthurGlen looks to think outside the box, at doing things in smarter ways and delving into the unknown, non-commercialised and untapped markets and activities. The commercialisation
strategy at McArthurGlen has evolved over the past two years and has accelerated at a fast pace over the past 12 months, with a clear strategic approach complementing the business rather than working independently of it. A five-year strategy has been developed, which is vital given the current
economic climate. Louise Poole, the UK
commercialisation manager for McArthurGlen, Europe’s leading developer, owner and manager of designer outlets, with seven McArthurGlen Designer Outlets in the UK, says: “The expertise and experience of being the market leader in designer outlets across Europe, our partnership philosophy and our vision – are all factors that reinforce our market-leading position and which make our centres unique.” With this said, it is critical that the commercialisation strategy fits seamlessly with McArthurGlen vision and goals,
and that it promotes products that complement McArthurGlen’s brand strategy, along with promoters’ displays blending harmoniously with the centre aesthetics and architecture. Poole comments: “For us,
it is all about finding the right products. Finding promoters with these products has not come without its challenges. We are very clear on what we believe fits with each of our Designer Outlets in the UK and there is a clear strategy for each, with each Designer Outlet having its own unique selling points. However finding a promoter with the right product is not always easy.
“McArthurGlen is not looking
for mainstream products/ promoters, it is looking for unique and quirky products that are different. A product or activity that complements the centre will add value to the customers’ shopping experience and create real retail theatre on their journey around our centres. For example, at our York Designer Outlet the team worked with a local florist who displayed and sold flowers and plants from the centre, but also tied in fashion by designing a dress made of flowers which was displayed at the centre. More recently, McArthurGlen has integrated a number of new
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