Tourism is challenging to define, difficult to measure, seasonally driven, unpredictable, hard to reach and relatively time poor. So how does tourism influence the development and operation of successful outlet centres?

Evidence from Europe’s outlet centres suggests that when carefully managed, outlet stores can strengthen luxury brand strategy rather than weaken it.

Retail’s outlet sector is continuing to grow as brand turnover reaches €23.6 billion in 2025. Record sales, m ajor outlet acquisition activity and a new retailer at the top of the vitality charts are just a few features of the latest European Outlet Industry Report (EOIR). The 2026 EOIR, produced by respected sector analyst Ken Gunn, is the leading and most definitive assessment of the 206 outlet centres (providing some 4.1m sqm of gross lettable area) and offers insights into both outlet...