Acienda Designer Outlet brings the world-class outlet shopping experience to Filipinos. Local shoppers and foreign tourists will soon be able to enjoy year-round bargain hunting for international fashion and gift brands at the country’s first pure designer outlet mall. Acienda Designer Outlet in Tagaytay City will provide approximately 20,000 sqm of prime commercial space with over 100 brands all facing onto weather-protected pedestrian plazas. Twenty five restaurants, cafés, snacks and bars will be situated around a performance plaza anchored by a scenic 40-meter tall French windmill. The overall style is a village environment drawing on themes and special features from Europe. Over 1,400 free parking spaces will be provided. The new outlet mall is located along Emilio Aguinaldo Highway, five minutes north of the Tagaytay Rotunda and opposite the new Silangan local government complex. Construction is now on its final stages and units will be handed over to retail tenants starting this March. French-style windmill provides a perfect backdrop during
shopping rounds. The grand opening is set for Aug. 2 and the project is expected to serve the shopping needs of approximately three million local and foreign tourists who already flock to Tagaytay City annually. Acienda Designer Outlet is a joint venture between Cathay Land Inc., one of the country’s fastest growing developers, and London-based Freeport Retail, a specialist developer and operator of designer outlets. The partner firms have invested P2.5 billion into the project. Confident of their success, they announced that they are already identifying strategic locations for their second outlet mall that is set to open in the next three years. Jeffrey Ng, president of Cathay Land Inc.,said: “We look forward to bringing our dedicated designer outlet shopping experience to the Philippines. Over the past decade, the outlet format has been successful with massive growth worldwide.” “There is a large customer base in Metro Manila that have enjoyed high-quality outlet shopping abroad and are keen to have the same opportunity at home.We set out to deliver something truly different and memorable with a look and feel that is unique to the Philippines which will draw customers back time and time again,” Ng added. Chris Milliken, co-founder and director of Freeport Retail, shared: “There are now over 400 international standard outlet centers worldwide offering more than 5,000 brands. Outlet is an established and mainstream retail channel that works for brands, retailers and, of course, the consumers. Since we started back in 1992, Freeport has developed many outlets throughout Europe.” “In 2012, we started our focus on Asia which is a major outlet opportunity.Our outlet village in Malaysia opened at the end of 2015. Acienda Designer Outlet will open in August this year followed by our project in Bangkok in September,” added Milliken. He noted that most of the world’s major capital cities have outlet malls. He thus declared it is high time that Metro Manila, with its over 12 million population, have its very first true outlet mall. He mentioned that Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur, did not have outlets a few years back but it now has three. For Milliken, this attests to the outlet format’s phenomenal growth worldwide. Successful designer outlets act as regional destinations with shoppers more than happy to travel long distances. They are assured of a fun day bargain hunting with family and friends in an ideal environment combined with F&B offers to suit all tastes and budgets. As to what shoppers and tourists can expect at Acienda Designer Outlet, Milliken said: “We provide something for everyone at our centers — from high-end fashion to sports, gifts and affordable fashion. Everyone is looking for a good deal and almost all the retail groups in the market will be represented. On average, we see over 90 percent of visitors to our centers making a purchase, which is several times higher than at conventional malls.” He also gave this shopping tip: “Having fun while bargain hunting is the secret. At Acienda Designer Outlet, we have beautiful styling, lots of greenery, an Instagram-worthy windmill and a full marketing and event calendar that will surely draw big crowds. And if shoppers need a break from the bargain hunting, they can relax at our restaurant and bar plaza.”