Grantham Designer Outlet Village set to open in 2023 creating 1,500 new jobs

Work has begun on a new £100m retail investment in Lincolnshire called the Grantham Designer Outlet Village, which is scheduled to open in 2023, creating up to 1,500 full and part-time jobs.

The new destination, which is being developed by Grantham-based property investor Buckminster, and designer outlet retail specialists Rioja Estates, will “represent a blueprint for a modern designer outlet village in a digital age,” embracing a digital retail experience alongside bricks and mortar stores.

At the ceremony to mark the start on the site this week managing director of Rioja Estates, Giles Membrey, said: “Machines on the ground today will create opportunities for local residents, businesses, and national and international brands tomorrow. Our scheme will offer a memorable day out for those who live nearby and those from farther afield, while retailers and restaurants that open here will benefit from a catchment that includes the residents, students, workers and tourists of towns and cities such as Cambridge, Nottingham, Leicester, and Lincoln.

“We are supporting local jobs both during and beyond construction, and are championing Grantham which will benefit from additional footfall from visitors to the outlet village.”

The Grantham Designer Outlet Village will feature up to 90 stores, restaurants and coffee shops in phase one, with up to 50 more proposed for phase two. Rioja Estates is in advanced talks with household brands from across Europe, with the first names to sign up to be announced later this year.

How the scheme will look

The scheme will “embrace the latest retail and societal trends” as one of the first post-pandemic shopping destinations to open in the UK. Featuring open air boulevards and covered walkways that allow for easy social distancing and fresh air, the scheme will also contain many benefits that ensure retailers can continue trading, no matter the circumstances, including an ecommerce platform and delivery service.

Together with the County Council’s construction of the £100m Grantham Southern Relief Road, Buckminster’s nearby 3,700-home Garden Village, and South Kesteven District Council’s plans to revitalise the attractive market town of Grantham, the new scheme is part of a co-ordinated "levelling up" regenerative economic drive for Lincolnshire, which will provide a major boost to the area’s long-term economic future.

Sir Richard Tollemache, Chairman at Buckminster, commented: “The Grantham Designer Outlet Village offers us not only the opportunity to create one of the UK’s most successful outlet retail destinations, but to build a better future for our community in Grantham. As a family-run, Grantham-based business we are incredibly passionate about this project because we believe in the benefits it will bring to the area – new jobs, new investment and new visitors to the town centre.”