Boost for southern Spain as VIA extension draws fresh retailers
Fashion outlet owner-operator VIA Outlets has completed and opened the 4,000 sq m extension to the Sevilla Fashion Outlet in Andalusia following a €30 million project to modernise the centre which it acquired in 2016.
The extension to the centre, which is adjacent to Seville airport, has cost €17 million and included the construction of a glass-covered gallery. The project has expanded the centre’s floorspace to 20,000 sq m.
New lettings have taken place to retailers including fashion brand Karl Lagerfeld, Dutch jeans brand G-Star Raw and US leisure brands Under Armour and Columbia. In all there are more than 80 national and international fashion and lifestyle brands.
Nike has increased its space by 52% GLA, and the Boss store at the centre’s entrance also represents a 91% increase in space.
“A robust uplift in retail sales in Spain this year, despite inflation remaining high, bodes well for Sevilla Fashion Outlet’s future growth,” said VIA Outlets’ CEO Otto Ambagtsheer “With its wider range of exceptional brands and extensive remodelling, we expect the centre to become a major draw as part of Seville’s tourist scene, helping expand the number of visits from tourists from its current level of 10% of footfall.”
The remodelling and the new extension have been designed by architects L35. The project incorporated sustainable initiatives which have brought BREEAM In-use Very Good and BREEAM New Construction Excellent ratings.
The centre has 3,500 sq m of photovoltaic panels which provide for half of its energy needs and the centre now has the biggest electric vehicle supercharger station in Andalusia. There is also an advanced rainwater harvesting system, and work is done throughout the year to improve biodiversity in and around the mall and adjacent A4 highway.
Via said that the extension is part of the company’s “remodelling, remerchandising and remarketing” strategy, which is designed to drive growth and plans are advancing to expand its outlets in Portugal and Switzerland.