Dalton Park Outlet Shopping Destination ended 2022 on a high with a record year for sales.
Like for like sales across the year were up 14.5 percent vs 2019, which is the last comparable year due to the pandemic, and the highest since the outlet opened in 2003.
The results come following an incredible 2022 for the outlet shopping destination as it bounced back post restrictions.
New retailers arrived and long-term brands moved into larger units throughout the year, increasing the brand offering, creating over 25 jobs and boosting investment in the local economy.
Crew Clothing, Skechers and Dune all made their centre debuts, while Radley, Clarks and Levi’s snapped up bigger stores in Q3 2022.
Each category saw growth across the year vs 2019, with ladieswear (+43.6%), menswear (+22.6%) and mixed fashion (+21.3%) seeing the largest increases across centre, with a notable uplift following the easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
Lindt enjoyed its best December trade since arriving at Dalton Park in 2018, as did Baytree Interiors, which opened in 2021, both bucking the trend following the announcement from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) that retail sales volumes fell by 1% in December 2022.
Dalton Park’s Cineworld gained national recognition in 2022 after winning the Customer Experience Cinema of the Year and Best Customer Service accolades in their nationwide internal awards.
Centre manager, Richard Kaye, is optimistic that the good news will keep coming in 2023. He said: “I look back on my first year as Centre Manager here at Dalton Park with immense pride in everyone that has contributed to a successful 2022.
“With all eyes on the future following the pandemic, everyone has worked tirelessly to push forward with exciting plans and events. The feedback from guests and the sales figures show that the efforts certainly paid off.
“It is fantastic to welcome Crew Clothing, Skechers and Dune to Dalton Park and the new Radley, Molton Brown, Clarks and Levi’s stores look exceptional.
“The fact that sales are up a staggering 14.5 per cent on pre-pandemic levels and despite the current economic climate, suggests that the outlet value proposition is still incredibly strong, and I expect this value message to be increasingly important to convey in the coming months.
“Of course, we are already looking ahead to 2023 and all the signs are that our 20th year of trade is set to be another successful one here at Dalton Park.”
