Bicester Village, is it knockdown prices like an outlet?

[Eggybreadwithnuts]

Thinking of a visit. So can we

Spend a few hours there or is it 1 hour and you're done?

Grab lunch, what's there?

Prices, are they outlet prices, will we grab some bargains?

There isn't a Haribo, or an M&S, but Tommy Hilfiger is still there, as is Jimmy Choo.

@IsThePopeCatholic You can get a good idea of what it’s like from their web site. It’s not boring if you have money.

The clothes are not the absolute latest but class is timeless. Max Mara can have some bargains. DD got a £3000 dress in Burberry reduced to £300. Not many people could have worn it. The Mulberry shop can have good reductions (although I’m not a huge fan) but if you like the brands there, what’s not to like? Gucci have some good bags with decent reductions. Annoushka sometimes has 60% off and you will often find other shops with offers. Theres a few cheaper shops such as White Company, Longchamp and Ralph Lauren but look at the brands and see if it appeals but it’s not meant to be High Street. So what if people fly in for BV but lots come from London for day trips.

If you want M&S and various other high street outlets, then try the Galleria at Hatfield instead. It is literally right on the A1M so easy to get to. And when I say 'literally', it is. The motorway runs in a tunnel underneath it.

We stayed in Bicester once so decided to check out the shopping village. We wandered round for about 40 mins, wondered what all the fuss was about and left. Just me then!

Bicester can be great, one of usually gets something but not always. Definitely no haribo or M&S. Galleria is pretty rubbish tbh especially lower level.

I have now been reliably informed by DH "that's Freeport you're thinking of, you plank"

Bicester I can barely remember, we went around COVID times apparently, and I've lost all recollection.

Freeport is great then!

I live 30 mins away, it's changed beyond all recognition in the last 25 years. I used up just pop over to buy kids shoes in Clarks! You could literally park outside,wander over and come home before tea. It's huge now, park and ride, multi storey car park, coaches by the hundreds up from London. Full of tourists and braying rich folk now. The lay out is sweet though, like a replica village. It's definitely not high Street but not just designer.

Very rarely find anything there. Prada like a jumble sale.

Don't a lot of Chinese shop there, and arrive on coaches. I haven't been for a few years but I remember looking in one of the expensive shoe shops and it looked like nothing would fit my size 8 feet anyway

Prefer Gunwharf Quays myself for cheaper prices.

Its not a place to go to find bargains but it will be cheaper than full price.

I know Prada has bags that it makes exclusively for the outlet so you may think you’re getting a cheaper Prada bag but anyone who knows Prada will know it’s from the outlet (not that it matters but it might matter to you). Not sure if other brand do similar.

There’s a good pizza restaurant there. And an Ottolenghi. And a pret. Plus random stands doing things like ice cream and crepes.

It’s worth downloaded the Bicester Village app. It’s got an extra 20% off voucher at the moment

Not just you. We stopped there in 2002 on a coach trip on the way home from a Morse Tour of Oxford. The holiday village was crap. The tour was brilliant!!

@Railingsst You think the really rich there! Don’t be so daft. Braying? Really? Yes. It’s tourists - but why not? You need to avoid peak times and go later. It’s best after 3pm. I still enjoy going.

Last time I went was looking for a specific colour handbag

found one and had to ask for price
it was £13k 😆

funnily enough I said no thanks, and found a more reasonable one in Lulu Guiness outlet also there

As someone mentioned re prada, a lot of the brands manufacture stuff specifically for thr outlet and have a tiny amount of stuff from the boutiques from last season. So a lot of it is lower quality

I haven't been for over 5 years but I used to go up for timberlands and coach bags. The Jimmy choo used to have good mark downs. I liked it when it was smaller and you had to get the bus from the old station

There was a Channel 4 Despatches programme about it (and TKMaxx) a few years ago. Basically high-end retailers make cheap versions of their own products especially for their outlet stores. People think they are getting luxury goods at a knock-down price but they are actually paying over the odds for designer names on chain store quality items. IIRC, they focused on the Ralph Lauren store. In TKMaxx there were Nicole Fahri products that had been purpose-made for sale in TKMaxx and which had never seen the inside of a true Nicole Fahri shop.

Bicester Village train station is something else. It's like a first class airport lounge. Nothing like the usual UK train experience. And yes it is full of very elegant Chinese, Japanese and Middle Eastern tourists.

I’ve been a few times over the years and have always thought the choice for somewhere to eat was lacking. It may be better now as I haven’t been for about 2-3 years, but for the size of the place I don’t think there’s many places for lunch.

The pasta place at the far end is very good for lunch.
Edited as I’ve remembered its name. La Tua Pasta

Not far from Towcester (pronounced toaster!)

I think you grew up where I did. This is exactly what I think of!

Old Odeon by any chance??

Yes 😂 !
I'm trying to remember what the advert was for.
I'm thinking it was industrial machine hire or something.

Definitely tool hire!

I think maybe Gem?

Oooh possibly... having a slow flashback.