LDO Welcomes Columbia and New Era to Expand Outdoor and Sports Offerings

The London Designer Outlet (LDO), a bustling retail destination in Wembley, West London, is set to further enhance its offering with the arrival of two prominent international brands: Columbia, the global sportswear and outdoors retailer, and New Era, the US-based headwear and accessories specialist. Both brands are scheduled to open their new stores this autumn, marking a significant expansion for the outlet.

Columbia Sportswear has secured a substantial 2,210 sq ft space under a 10-year lease. This new store will feature Columbia's extensive range of activewear, including jackets, hiking gear, and a diverse selection of footwear for men, women, and children. Marcel Misere, Columbia Sportswear's Retail Director for Europe, highlighted the strategic importance of this new location, stating: “This opening marks a significant milestone in our UK expansion, allowing us to connect more deeply with outdoor enthusiasts and urban explorers alike.”

Joining Columbia, New Era will occupy a 1,339 sq ft unit with a five-year lease agreement. Renowned for its iconic headwear, New Era will offer a wide array of licensed merchandise, including products from major sports leagues such as MLB, NFL, and NBA. Shoppers can expect to find its popular range of baseball caps, notably the acclaimed 59FIFTY style, alongside an extensive collection of accessories spanning backpacks, T-shirts, shorts, and hoodies.

Beyond these exciting new arrivals, LDO continues to strengthen its tenant mix through new agreements and relocations for existing retailers. Sportswear giants Asics and Champion have both committed to new lease agreements, moving into larger spaces of 1,818 sq ft and 1,640 sq ft, respectively. These developments follow a period of robust growth for LDO, which has seen 11 new lettings and relocations totaling 15,759 sq ft over the past 12 months, including the addition of brands like Crocs, French Connection, Rituals, and the very first outlet store for Miniso.

Matt Slade, LDO Retail Director for operator Quintain, expressed confidence in the new additions and the outlet's ongoing performance. “Global and British fashion, sports, lifestyle and homewares brands perform incredibly well here, consistently outperforming their regional counterparts, and this is evidenced by Asics and Champion both signing new deals,” he remarked. Slade further added, “With recent ‘healthy lifestyles’ trend showing no signs of slowing down, we are confident Columbia and New Era, with their extensive ranges of fashion-forward activewear, will become firm favourites among our shoppers, particularly for our repeat visiting families customer group where sport and outdoors pursuits are a key focus.” He concluded by explaining that these arrivals and renewals are integral to LDO’s broader leasing strategy, focused on providing optimal space in prime locations to ensure broad demographic appeal and sustained high footfall.