Designer village McArthurGlen West Midlands is now open in Cannock and we went down to check it out!
This eagerly anticipated shopping village cost a whopping £160m to put together with a whole host of stores to delight shoppers.
Brands like Boss, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Coach, Radley, Le Creuset and Yankee Candle all have their own units within this well-presented village.
Each street is elegantly paved and decorated and instantly you feel transported to the United States where their shopping malls/villages are very similarly themed.
McArthurGlen West Midlands has a really strange Disneyland vibe to it from its street lights that pave the walkways to the building designs and more.
On a lovely sunny day when we visited it felt as though we were on holiday, it’s an immersive experience.
At this moment in time, there is only a handful of places to grab food with a portable Mac and Cheese stand and Five Guys being the only places you can get a bite to eat at the moment.
A chicken joint and a Wagamamas are set to be opening soon but with limited space to sit outside it was a little crowded in the seating area due to restrictions.
Upon walking past numerous shops it was clear to see which were the two favourites with queues for the brand new Nike store and a Haribo store stacking up outside.
The queues weren’t socially distant at the time of our visit and no staff members were checking or advising people to keep their distance.
Many were wearing masks in the queue lines but some spacing between people would be nice especially given the current climate we are living in.
The designer shopping village also included units for Adidas, Under Armour and Skechers and there’s a Starbucks for those coffee urges.
Whilst walking around it did feel as though the units occupied within the village were more sports brands than what you’d call ‘designer’ but that seems to be the case with many of the other McArthurGlen designer outlets.
It would be nice to see more higher-end brands occupying some of the units so it felt more designer than sportswear / high street brands.
Whilst names such as Tommy Hilfiger and Hugo Boss occupy the space they always cry out ‘high street’ to me instead of designers such as Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Chanel who always have that air of elegance about them when added to any area in which they occupy.
A nice mix of units would have been a nice touch rather than having many sports brands occupy them as walking around it feels like a very upmarket and beautifully landscaped Sports Direct village.
All in all, it’s a beautiful space to relax on a sunny day and grab a bargain with many of the units offering discounted pricing across the board.
I could really see this being a great atmosphere around Christmas if they themed the streets with lighting at night and added extra festive features throughout.
The designer village is a great addition to Cannock and with ample parking space and a few more food units on the way, it’s certainly a nice day out with the family who is looking to grab a bargain or two.
Check out our little walkthrough video tour HERE
