Bicester Village, a luxury shopping experience in Britain, recently expanded by a third, adding more than 30 new boutiques to its already impressive stable of world-class brands to bring it to more than 160.

Offering a myriad of different brands including luxury womenswear, menswear, the Village has earned itself a reputation as one of the most-visited tourist destinations in the UK, with a fair share of its visitors coming in from the Middle East.

"As leaders in the shopping tourism sector, we believe it is our responsibility to provide our local and international guests with exceptional experiences and attractive benefits across the entire Collection of Villages in Europe and China,"  said Desirée Bollier, chair – Value Retail Management - owner of Bicester Village.

The new additions include boutiques from Acne, Joseph, Under Armour and Rapha (along with the signature Rapha Cycle Club) as well as pop-up boutiques including guest appearances from beauty brand Charlotte Tilbury, and shoes from Charlotte Olympia and Harrys of London.

This season also sees the launch of The British Collective, a multi-brand gifting boutique designed by celebrated interior designer and illustrator, Luke Edward Hall. Guests can discover everything from the softest cashmere by Chinti & Parker, fabulous scarves by Lily and Lionel, small leather accessories by Pickett, beautiful lifestyle products from Czech & Speake to cheeky knitwear by Markus Lupfer amongst many more.

"This new footprint allows us to push the boundaries of creativity and innovation to new levels, giving us the freedom to showcase young and exciting design talents of tomorrow whilst promoting the richness of culture offered by the Oxfordshire region,” said Bollier.

Marcelo Molinari, Value Retail’s group tourism director, speaks to TTN about its latest news and services, especially for its Middle East visitors.

"Being one of UK's top shopping attraction, the Village sees a surge of visitors all year round, especially from the Middle East, who account for 14 per cent of tax-refunded sales. This includes guests from Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar," he says.

To cater to its global guests, especially its Middle East visitors, Bicester Village has introduced a number of services including  Number 50, a new by-appointment-only VIP House designed by celebrated interior designer firm Carden Cuniett. It is an "exclusive space" in which guests can enjoy events including special trunk shows, personal shopping consultations and VIP experiences, he revealed

Further adding to its enticing portfolio of gastronomic outlets is the new Secret Garden Café restaurant, which exemplifies the best of British ingredients, as well as a myriad of enhanced halal menus and a treasure-trove of locally inspired treats from seasonal food carts.

"We indeed take much consideration for our Middle Eastern guests, for whom we have launched additional services, including announcements in Arabic at the Bicester Village railway station," Molinari tells TTN.

Other offerings include VIP hospitality services, access to Number 50, Arabic speakers on hand to help with any requests and queries, and a number of partners that offer member benefits, including Dubai Islamic Bank, Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, to name just a few.

Bicester Village is one of the Collection of 11 Villages in Europe and China by Value Retail, with each home to leading fashion and lifestyle brands offering savings of up to 60 per cent on the recommended retail price, all year round. The Villages are all located close to some of Europe and China’s favourite cities – London, Dublin, Paris, Madrid, Barcelona, Milan, Bologna, Brussels, Frankfurt, Munich and, in China, Suzhou and Shanghai. - TradeArabia News Service