Bicester Village or Ellesmere Port?

dmg24

Hi,

Am looking for a few days away, and would like to partake in my favourite pastime ... outlet shopping!

I'm looking at Bicester Village or Ellesmere Port (staying in Oxford and Liverpool respectively) ... anyone have any experience of these two places?

Also, am going to put it in a separate thread also as am so keen for information, how good are the Ralph Lauren stores at these villages?!! Do they tend to have many polo shirts in?!

Thanks in advance!!!

genegenie

HI i live near the ellesmere port outlet. it is very big, although cant compare to Bicester as have never been there. I go quite a bit sometimes i get excellent bargains sometimes not. I think there may be a clearance event on at the mo.
Here are list of shops that i can remember:
Nike
La Senza
Puma
Ted Baker
Fred Perry
Early Learning Centre
Molton Brown
Virgin (smellies)
Lilly & Skinner (I think its called that...shoes etc)
A shop selling lots of Liz Claiborne (excellent bargains at the mo)
Donnay
Levi
Monsoon
Gap
Kitchen/Cookware shop
Dune Shoes
Marks and Spencers (Womens shop and Men/Children Shop)
Ralph Lauren
An outdoor wear shop (selling North Face gear etc, sorry cant remember the name)
WHS Smiths (usually great bargains to be had)
Speedo
Adidas
Reebok
Le coq sportif
D2
Calvin Cline
Mexx
Coast
Clarks
Thorntons(mmmmmmmmmm)
Cadburys(mmmmmmmmmm)
Wittards the Coffe people (best of all they sell loads and loads od Lindt choc at very cheap prices....)
Pilot
Next
My favourite: Playtime Toys (i have had loads of Fisher Price bargains here, some of it was half price or less than usual prices, also sell loads of barbie/bratz stuff at good prices!!!!!)
Coast
Oasis
Warehouse
Virgin XS (music shop)
Remington
Sole Trader (i think its called that sells loads of shoes trainers at low prices e.g rocket dog, DMs etc)
Vans
Charles Twrhitt (cant remeber how to spell...mens suits and shirts)
Tommy Hillfiger
Sketchers
Toshiba
Antler
Samsonite
Ecco Shoes
Christies Towels
Burberry
Timberland
i think there is also a lee cooper shop
Bose (???)
oh and the paper/card shop for diy cards and such like!!!!
and loads loads more that i cant remember e.g a few lingerie shops, a few shops selling makeup, and numerous more shops selling stuff like Ben Sherman, also a few crockery shops
There are a few places to eat with a foodcourt maccieds, harry ramsdens etc. also pizza exress and shere khan.

If you join Mcarthur Glen they will email you a 10%discount voucher which can be used on one day (although not avilable in all shops!!!)

normal

I wouldn't recommend the Bicester village. I think it's very overrated. Few bargains to be had. The Ellesmere Port one looks bigger, but have never been there.

genegenie

oh and i forgot
there is abit behind the outlet village called the coliseum which has a few full price shops
Borders
Link
Boots
Deichman Shoes
HMV
Next
M n S Food
Au Naturale (great for homeware bargains etc)
Argos
Travel Agent
Sports shop
Mamas and Papas
Pizza Hut
Burger King
Chiquitos
OLd Orleans
Some sort of chinese buffet place
Bella Italia
Nandos
Cinema
Bowling Alley
Destiny and Elite nightclub (which also goes by another name....haha)
Ellesmere port town centre (not too far away) has a few bargain shops
Home Bargains
Poundworld
Poundland
Savers
And there is a new asda there although not sure if it is open yet!!!
Chester and Chester Zoo are also very very near by (15 mins)
Phew.......sorry for the excess length of threads!!!!!!
Hope this helps

Lucie_2

I prefer Cheshire Oaks to Bicester personally, especially now CO has a Fat Face outlet.
To throw another spanner into the works, York is pretty good too!

CheekyLittleMonkey

I live on Stanney Oaks (work in Coventry) opposite Cheshire Oaks and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Don't believe the hype. Mostly last seasons stock and naff clothing. Entirely my personal view.

dmg24

Thanks guys, glad to see I'm not the only one with this obsession!

Looks like it could be Ellesmere Port. We're looking for a good night out as well, and have been told Liverpool is excellent.

That was my only concern with York, it might not be the most exciting of places at night? Have been to Oxford before, think it was good at night but alcohol took over my memory!

So any help on the Ralph Lauren store? It's an absolute nightmare to get hold of their ladieswear in the UK, and I can't afford to go over to the US at the moment (and after today am maybe a bit scared too?).

Thanks again everyone ... x

dmg24

Forgot to say ...

I live near Macarthur Glen at Mansfield in Nottingham. It's pants. Was much better before it had a big fire!

genegenie

Your much better off going for your night out in liverpool, lots of places to drink and dance!!
Personally i wouldnt visit the cheshire oaks on site nightclub...
Chester nightlife is also pretty kak....brannigans and the like!!!!
sorry though cant help with the ralph lauren question!
Are you going to stay in liverpool or somewhere near the outlet village?

OGB03

I would say go to both and see for yourself. Bicester is much smaller than CO however the range of stores there are akin to Bond Street/Covent Garden/Knightsbridge. To further this dubious analogy, CO is more like Oxford Street, New Bond Street and then also the places listed above.

I've pretty much exhausted outlets in the UK (!) and I don't necessarily like Bicester as a shopping experience. CO on the hand is just the best in the UK in my opinion. It reminds me of outlets in the US in terms of the layout and sheer quantity of quality stores. Bicester I can get around in less than 2 hours, but when I plan road trips to CO, it takes a good day/day and a half to cover properly and then it's off to Freeport in Talke to have a nose around there!

Hope this helps.

ETA: With regard to RLP or designer brands in general, retail outlets often carry 'last season/older stock' items as mentioned here by other posters, however, in some instances, for example Samsonite, they will carry exactly the same current range of stock as their Bond Street store at a much reduced price.

The trick here is to shop wisely for items that are timeless. For example, sports wear can't really become 'dated'.

If you really want cheap fashionable items that you don't mind wearing a few times and then donating to charity, stores like Pilot and Warehouse are ideal.

The Gap, Tommy Hill and RLP are excellent for buying wardrobe standards like classic white t'shirts, black polos and chinos etc. Goldsmiths are always excellent for gifts especially on their watches and Mont Blanc pens/pencils. The Body Shop (few left now), Revlon, Virgin, CK and Gossard are excellent for greatly reduced branded underwear and toiletries/cosmetics.

Wedding/Christenings/Funerals/Gifts - I would always choose Bicester which has some classy stores like the White Company, Molten Brown and LKBennett.

Finally, as Martin pointed out, the Dollar/Sterling exchange rate is fantastic at the moment, running at approx $1.90 to £1. About 3 weeks ago BA had return flights to JFK and Newark until the end of September totalling £148 including taxes. Now if you took a little trip out to Jersey (tax free!!!) or Ronkonkomo or even Century 21, imagine the bargains..... (my heart rate rises just a little)

YOUNGE1

Ellsmere Port is the best ever.

I am a shopaholic and am ashamed to say it beat me as even I could not make it around all the shops.

Pity I'll have to go back......