Converse to open first UK store

Converse, the American brand best known for its popular All Star sneakers, has chosen Wembley Park’s London Designer Outlet to open its first standalone store in the UK.

The footwear and lifestyle company is already available at the shopping centre at Nike’s outlet store, with the new standalone store further emphasizing the brand’s appeal to both UK and international shoppers.

Additionally, London Designer Outlet has announced the addition of Dr. Martens and Vans to its clothing and footwear line-up. Dr. Martens has taken a 1,350 sq ft unit at the mall following the success of a pop-up trial store, while Vans expands the footwear offering with a 1,800 sq ft outlet store.

Christine Grace, Realm’s Leasing Director for LDO, said: “Converse and Vans are great additions to the range of top brands LDO offers and we’re proud to be the centre of choice for Converse’s first-ever store in the UK. Furthermore, the move from temp-to-perm by Dr. Martens shows the confidence top brands have, not only with this location but also with an urban outlet option as part of their go-to-market mix.”

The shopping centre’s mix of sports and leisure brands attracts almost twice as many people than Wembley Stadium and the SSE Arena combined. Adidas, The North Face, Asics, Skechers and New Balance have stores at the London Designer Outlet.

The centre is the nearest outlet choice for some 5.8 million people, the largest such catchment in the UK. Additionally, overseas tourists are seeing the Wembley Park destination as an important part of their trip to London. According to its managers, tax-free sales have increased by 36.8% YoY over the first five months of the year. Of the visitors from outside the EU, some 22.6% were from China, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Other tenants at LDO include Superdry, Jack Wills, H&M, Gap, Lee Wrangler, Kurt Geiger, M&S and Guess.

Converse to open first UK store

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