Today, 24 September, the award-winning McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Neumünster, the largest designer outlet in Northern Germany, celebrates the opening of its new extension.

The centre, which already plays host to some of the world’s most iconic luxury, premium and lifestyle brands – including Polo Ralph Lauren, Gucci, Armani, Furla, Boss, ESCADA, Versace, Lagerfeld and 88 more – will introduce many new stores, such as Adidas, Diesel, Liebeskind Berlin, Calvin Klein, Comma, Tiger of Sweden, Rich & Royal and Jack Wolfskin. A small Belstaff shop will also be unveiled at today’s opening. The expansion adds a further 35 new stores, all offering year-round savings of between 30 and 70 per cent in a beautiful, high-quality shopping environment. 

McArthurGlen Neumünster first opened in September 2012. As with its first phase, the centre’s new phase has taken inspiration from the local Schleswig-Holstein style of architecture to create a designer outlet that is in harmony with the local environment. With its new expansion, the centre now offers an additional 7,000 sq m of gross leasable space (GLA) to create a shopping heaven of 27,000 sq m and more than 130 stores. For customers’ convenience, a further 950 parking spaces have been added, bringing the number of parking spaces available to just below 3,000.

McArthurGlen Designer Outlet Neumünster has been developed, is co-owned and is managed by the McArthurGlen Group. Earlier this year the centre won the ICSC (International Council of Shopping Centers) European Shopping Centre Award for Best New Development in the category of Specialty Retail Project.

John Ralston, Centre Manager of McArthurGlen Neumünster, says: “With so many new brands on offer, McArthurGlen Neumünster will become an even more attractive fashion destination for local shoppers and those on a short visit from Hamburg. It also makes a great day out for holidaymakers visiting Schleswig-Holstein, Scandinavian shoppers driving down the A7 to Continental Europe and the increasing numbers of international brand-loving tourists, in particular from China and Southeast Asia.”

In the first six months of 2015, McArthurGlen Neumünster’s tax-free sales to non-EU tourists surged and more than doubled compared with the same period last year, with sales to Chinese tourists nearly tripling.

Dr Olaf Tauras, Lord Mayor of Neumünster, said: “McArthurGlen, working closely with the local and regional tourism industry, has helped to develop Neumünster and the surrounding area as a must-visit destination. This has brought additional wealth to the region and provided employment for over many local people, making the designer outlet a key employer for this area.”

McArthurGlen, through its global tourism team, works with more than 100 travel and tourism partners worldwide, including national and regional tourism organisations and leading tour operators, airlines and hotels. On a local level, these include the German Tourist Board, the Hamburg Tourism Authority and the Schleswig-Holstein Tourism Authority, as well as the Scandlines ferry service, and local hotels including Altes Stahlwerk in Neumünster and the Hyatt Hamburg. The centre also has a partnership with Les Clefs d’Or, the international union of hotel concierges.