Not impressed with the Designer Outlet (McArthur Glen Designer Outlets)

Member Name: s.gould

Product:	McArthur Glen Designer Outlets
Date:	12/08/02 (1492 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Good selection of food, Cheep parking

Disadvantages: Small Shops, Not that big, Not realler designer

We visited Swindon's McArthur Glen Designer Outlet this weekend. I had read a lot of hype about it, and I am a real designer fan.

I have visited loads of centres including Bristol?s Mall, Southampton?s West Quay, Portsmouth?s Gunn Wharf, the massive Blue Water Park of the M25 and various other smaller outlets. I know these aren?t all outlets, but more of shopping centres, but they are all aimed at the same thing. Lots of shops under one roof.

I wasn?t impressed at all with the Designer Outlet, I didn?t class the shops as really designer at all, and many were cheap shops, that imitate designer brands.

Most of the shops are the same as you would find in any outlet village and nothing really stood out. I would rather travel east to London, west to Bristol or south to Southampton.

Mind you, the parking was cheep, but not much of it compared to elsewhere. Comparing it to Portsmouth?s Gunn Wharf, which is aimed at similar people, I would say Portsmouth is better. Large car park, lots of space, but not as many shops, but the shops at Gunn Wharf are bigger and better, like GAP. The shops aren?t the high street names, but the companies that supply the high street shops. You will find the same clothing, but with the original label in, instead of Pilot or Miss Selfridge etc.

The food hall at Swindon is better than most, with a good selection and at a reasonable price. Others I have been to have expensive options.

Overall I wasn?t that impressed, and didn?t actually buy anything.

Summary: