Outlet Centres International has won planning consent for the first factory outlet development in Scandinavia , a 20,000m2 development in Arlandastad on the northern outskirts of Stockholm. Construction is due to start next month.
OCI, registered in the Isle of Man but backed by international investors, also has options on sites in Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Spain, Germany and the UK.
The first phase of the Arlandastad Outlet Village, due to open in spring 1998, will contain between 40 and 50 units of 200 m2 to 300 m2, totalling 13,500 m2. A second phase of 6,500 m2 will open in 1999. DTZ Debenham Thorpe has been appointed letting agent.
Hans Dobke, managing director of OCI, said: “We opted for Sweden because of the strong Swedish connections amongst the founding shareholders of the company. From a commercial perspective Arlandastad is a prime site for the first Scandinavian outlet village as Scandinavian consumers have a higher level of disposable income than many other European consumers.”
The site is between Stockholm city centre and the Stockholm Arlanda International Airport, with nearly 2m people – almost 25% of the Swedish population – living within a one-hour drive.
Among the founding directors of OCI is Lisa Quier, who formerly worked for US outlet developer McArthur Glen in the US and the UK.
