Landsec's Outlets Experience Record-Breaking Black Friday Week With 8.1% Sales Surge

Outlet destinations have recently emerged as some of the most dynamic retail centers in the industry, and Landsec, a prominent property giant, has provided compelling evidence of this trend. During Black Friday week, Landsec reported a robust 8.1% year-on-year sales growth across its outlet portfolio. This performance continues a pattern of sustained expansion throughout the year, building on what was already a record-breaking year for the portfolio in 2024.

The strong performance across Landsec’s three key outlet locations—Gunwharf Quays, Braintree Village, and Clarks Village—underscores the continued appeal of in-person retail during major calendar events. The combined spend across these three locations reached £16.3 million during Black Friday week, accompanied by an 8.6% increase in footfall compared to the previous year. This data highlights a significant consumer trend: shoppers are increasingly drawn to destinations already known for offering discounts, seeking even greater markdowns during promotional periods like Black Friday.

Individual outlets within Landsec’s portfolio achieved remarkable milestones during the promotional period. Braintree Village celebrated a record-breaking week, with Saturday seeing the highest single day of footfall since the pandemic began. Clarks Village also recorded its highest-ever sales day. Gunwharf Quays, building on its success from the previous year, experienced its biggest-ever sales week, achieving both its highest single-day revenue and a substantial 9.8% increase in footfall year-on-year.

The success extended beyond overall center performance to individual store achievements. At Gunwharf Quays alone, 25 different brands achieved record sales weeks, with an additional nine brands setting new single-day records on Saturday. Analyzing purchasing trends across the entire outlet portfolio, consumers significantly increased spending in specific categories: health & beauty saw a 46% week-on-week increase, gifts, cards, toys, and books were up 43%, and accessories rose by 40%. These categories demonstrate continued momentum into 2025 across Landsec’s outlet destinations.