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€20m Investment to Make Freeport a Benchmark Outlet

21 November 2017

The Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet has been redesigned, with new stores dedicated to fashion and a new food court. The investment, in the order of 20 million euros, had as its main objective “to affirm the outlet as a benchmark destination for fashion in Lisbon.”

In addition, a focus on increasing the number of brands present in the outlet is intended to boost the growth of the centre’s turnover by more than 20% next year. “This year, our business volume registered an increase of around 12%, compared to 2016,” Nuno Oliveira stated.  Mr Oliveira is the general manager of Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet and Business Director Portugal of Via Outlets, the fund that currently owns and operates the space.

The 35 new retail areas that came from the outlet’s redesign gave Freeport a total of 130 stores, of which 10 are restaurants. Currently, more than 80% of the new units are already occupied, with an estimate that this number will exceed 90% in 2018.

In addition to bringing in new international fashion brands, the children’s segment was also reinforced with names such as Knot, Chicco and Pili Carrera, as well as the home segment with Texture and Le Creuset, which are joining Zwilling. Samsonite reinforced its presence in the centre, opening a second store, with a new shop specializing in the “rolling luggage” segment.

Some of the newcomers chose Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet to open their first outlet store in Portugal, joining other well-known brands such as Coach, Hackett, Swarovski and Vans, which also chose for the centre for its debut in the Portuguese outlet market.

The redesign and upgrade of the retail offerings corresponded, simultaneously, to a reinforcement of the sophistication of the service provided by the outlet and a profound intervention in the public space surrounding the whole centre. JRDV and Stantec, American companies with extensive international experience in the field of outlets and the international architecture firm L35, were responsible for the project.

With this reformulation, the Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet will have four new main areas. The Main Entrance, which uniquely marks the entrance to the mall, was designed to better welcome visitors, and are where the principal reception and information services can be found. The Flavour Square (Praça dos Sabores), is the face of the remodelling project. Located within the store area, on the ground floor, and taking advantage of all the know-how of design and architecture, this space has seven restaurants. The Praça do Eléctrico, where a modern aesthetic is paired with the traditional, and the authenticity of a typical Lisbon garden has as its central point a replica of a Carris tram, from the iconic route 28, which houses a coffee shop and acts as a centre point for the surrounding esplanade. The Central Square has a unique new recreational space, and the North area, where the most expressive intervention took place, with the total reconstruction of the area, and where the 30 new retail stores are located in a space that is predominantly Lisbon-style buildings with tiles and Portuguese sidewalk.

Original Story: Construír

Translation: Richard Turner