ICON Outlet, the new 210,000sqft ‘urban outlet’ at the O2 in London, opens its doors on Saturday 20 October.

Focusing on five main areas – ‘best of British’, ‘global fashion’, ‘beauty and accessories’, ‘sports and lifestyle’ and ‘urban dining’ – the new shopping centre will feature a number of premium brands, including Ted Baker, Hobbs, Cath Kidston, Levi’s, Hackett, Jack Wills and Clarks, at affordable outlet prices.

The new shopping centre joins an Oxygen Freejumping trampoline park and a larger Cineworld cinema, with venue operator AEG expecting up to an extra 5m visitors annually to the O2 – already the world’s most popular live entertainment venue – following the completion of the work.

William Church, joint managing director at Cheaney Shoes, which will have a shop in ICON Outlet, says: “The vision for ICON Outlet provides an incredible opportunity for us to extend our brand into a new retailing concept. The highly accessible location of ICON Outlet at the O2 gives us an opportunity to reach a new market so far not served by our existing Cheaney shops.

“ICON Outlet’s focus on the experience also has great synergy with the Cheaney brand, and we will create a new design concept for our debut outlet store that befits its setting at the O2.”

The O2 was once again the most-visited live venue in the world in 2017, selling some 300,000 more tickets than its nearest competitor, New York’s Madison Square Garden.

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The O2 is to increase its footprint by a further 110,000sqft (10,220m²), with a new cinema and trampoline park set to deliver an extra 4–5m visitors per annum to the London entertainment complex, operator AEG has announced.

The new development – a joint venture between AEG Europe and Crosstree Real Estate Partners – will, says AEG Europe development manager Alistair Wood, “complete the loop of space around the O2 Arena” and break ground in late September.

A 50,000sqft extension to Cineworld will add several additional screens the existing cinema, while a 30,000sqft trampoline park, managed by Oxygen Freejumping, is to include a Bear Grylls Fitness obstacle course, a trampolining school and parties and facilities for autistic-friendly and disability sessions. They join an under-construction 205,000sqft designer shopping centre, due to open the final months of 2018.

“This site, coupled with the ongoing Designer Outlet Village development, will complete the loop of space around the O2 Arena,” explains Wood. “Together they will deliver a further four to five million visitors per annum to The O2.

“Trampolining appeals to a broad demographic and will further diversify the leisure mix offered at The O2”

“The cinema has gone from strength to strength since it opened, and we are delighted Cineworld are extending their partnership with us. We are also very pleased to have Oxygen on board, the UK’s leading trampoline park operator. Trampolining appeals to a broad demographic and will further diversify the leisure mix offered at The O2 to complement the retail offering, which will open in Q4 2018.”

“We are delighted to have secured such a high profile and prestigious location for our next trampoline park,” adds Oxygen CEO David Stalker.

“At Oxygen, we have welcomed 1.5m jumpers through our doors since we opened, and provide a fun and safe jumping environment and best-in-class customer experience in line with our mission to support the government’s drive to address UK childhood obesity. We look forward to welcoming a new group of jumpers to our new trampoline park at The O2 in the near future.”

The 21,000-cap. O2 Arena has been the world’s most-visited music venue since 2008. It recently celebrated ten years of business, with GM John Langford telling IQ the ‘entertainment district’ model of live entertainment – also pioneered by AEG at LA Live in Los Angeles, the Mercedes Platz in Berlin and Nashville Yards in Tennessee – is “what consumers want” from a modern arena.

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