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Cannock Chase: Designer outlet opens
Cannock Chase Chamber
of Commerce
Open for business: the new Cannock designer outlet
Contact: Chris Plant T: 0845 6036650
£160m shopping village opens
The long awaited £160m McArthurGlen designer outlet in Cannock has opened its doors to shoppers seeking a bargain.
The new outlet, at Mill Green, was given planning permission five years ago, and construction started in 2017.
The development is McArthurGlen’s first UK opening for more than two decades, and marks a return to the market where it introduced the concept of designer outlet retailing in Europe, with Cheshire Oaks in 1995.
The centre is McArthurGlen’s seventh British designer outlet, joining others at Ashford, Bridgend, Cheshire Oaks, East Midlands, Swindon and York, and it is the group’s 26th across Europe and in Canada.
Susie McCabe, joint CEO of McArthurGlen, said: “This opening represents not only a huge milestone for McArthurGlen as we continue to grow our European footprint, but a defining moment for brick-and-mortar retail as the only stand-alone shopping centre to open in the UK this year.
“As we emerge into a new consumer landscape, we know customers still crave the extraordinary day-out shopping experiences and moments of magic that only physical retail can offer, and we remain extremely confident that West Midlands will deliver this.”
The Designer Outlet West Midlands is home to many international brands, including Coach, Kate Spade, Hugo Boss, Levi’s, Lacoste, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, Calvin Klein, Ted Baker, Reiss, Kurt Geiger, Gant, Radley and Joules.
There are also leading names from the world of sportswear, including Nike, Adidas, Under Armour, Asics and Skechers, while Wagamama, Starbucks and Five Guys are among the food and beverage brands to open.
The development is a joint venture between McArthurGlen, Aviva Investors and the Richardson family. Covering 285,000 square feet in total, the centre will create 1,000 new retail jobs for the local community. In addition, it is supporting a partnership with Walsall College for a new training academy, which has already helped connect local people to job opportunities with the development’s stores.
To help reduce its impact on the environment, the centre features around 400 newly planted trees, along with solar panels, on-site beehives, a wormery, electric car charging points and bicycle parking.
Darren Freed, director at Aviva Investors, said: “Designer Outlet West Midlands is an exceptional addition to Britain’s retail landscape and arrives at a time when the outlet sector continues to outperform the wider retail market.”
Support scheme is launched
A £5m countywide package of support programmes for small businesses and apprentices has been launched by a partnership of Staffordshire councils, including Cannock Chase.
The new initiative is ‘Staffordshire Means Back to Business’, and it is being backed by Staffordshire District Council to the tune of £302,000.
Most of this will go towards funding wages for 500 apprentices, and it is hoped that this will incentivise employers to take on 16 to 24-yearolds by contributing to the costs associated with recruiting and retaining an apprentice.
Chase Council is also contributing funds to the programmes.
Councillor Tony Johnson said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has struck the economy hard, the funds being directed to this initiative will help to mitigate the effects by creating more employment opportunities.”
Staffordshire County Council deputy leader Philip White said: “It is critical that as a county council we continue to prioritise support for small businesses and people whose jobs or employment prospects have been impacted by the pandemic.
“In an area like Staffordshire that has a county council plus district and borough councils with their own Covid-19 funding this support is far more effectively delivered by close collaborative working between councils and a range of other partners to make our respective funding go further.
“We hope that our three new programmes will reach more people and businesses affected by the pandemic. We owe it to businesses and communities to direct all available funding where it is needed most.”
Rugeley IT firm makes senior promotion
IT support company TechCare, based in Rugeley, has promoted John Hoey to head of marketing..
He was previously a search engine optimisation specialist at the firm, helping clients to improve their all important Google search rankings.
He said: "I am over the moon about my promotion to Head of Marketing at TechCare. I love what I do, and helping our clients move their business forward is a big part of that.
“By running the marketing team, I feel I can make a real difference in clients' business success, which is amazing. I can't wait to get stuck in and see where the future takes us."
