Is Bicester Designer Village in Oxford any good?

Debt_Free_Dreamer

It looks like you can register on their site http://www.bicestervillage.com/en/register


If it is anything like the Swindon Outlet, it means you get a card which has an extra 10% in selected shops. I visit Swindon often and always make sure I get my card. Jaeger have been known to accept my vouchers (I get for being a loyal Customer - which I am sure I still get on all my returns on my web purchases) give an additional 20% off (again my Jaeger loyalty card) and accept the Swindon 10% card. (Happy Days!)

[Deleted User]

Thanks everyone = Great advice!! :j

I'm dying to get my hands on a 10% VIP card but they don't seem to be available on offer anywhere and they don't seem to send a voucher or details when you register with them..

slummymummyof3

If you are travelling to Oxfordshire, it might be worth your while spending a little longer in the car and visiting the McArthur Glenn outlet at Swindon (either in addition or instead of Bicester village) - it has far more 'everyday' shops - Gap, M&S etc and isn't quite as 'designer' - more in keeping with the everyday persons budget! I reserve going to Bicester village for when I need something 'really' special as it is still expensive (as other posters have already commented) Swindon is far more useful!

Phyzelda

Personally, I hate Bicester Village, it's over priced and gets ridiculously busy!!
Nothing is cheap down there, one shop took over £300k on boxing day alone, and in the run up before Christmas it hit the £1m mark in ONE day!!! - therefore you can clearly see there's hardly any bargains available.

All the shops that are aimmed at the "everyday shopper" that goes to these sort of outlet are being pushed out of Bicester Village.

Other than the above, the main reason I hate it so much is the congestion is causes to our town!

pookiewn

I went there yesterday, there were loads of bargains! Coast had some lovely dresses and tops for under £20, monsoon has some fab bargains too. Ralph Lauren had really cheap stuff, jeans at £7, stunning skirts and dresses under £30. Not sure what the deals would be like in feb, but there are certainly some good deals at the moment!

patricia50

I think Bicester village is very expensive. Yes there are discounts but generally the items were so pricey in the first place that you dont get a real bargain. On my first visit my daughter (grown up) and I went into the Ralph Lauren store and felt like we were being watched the whole time so I dont personally like that snobbery. The McCarther Glen outlet village in Swindon is imo better as there are stores that are not quite so expensive, there are plenty of places to get something to eat plus it is all under cover so if the weather is bad its a much better place to go.

wolverina2411

I guess I'm quite an odd one here cause I love Bicester Village. hehehe. Never miss it every boxing day :j.MY OH and I always managed to snatch a good bargain. It's considerably cheap for a highly priced designer items. Once a while, we love to treat ourselves for something too steep for our pocket at boutique price. It depends on what are you hunting for.... and what kind of sale they have now.

Some of our treats during recent treasure hunting at Bicester Village.... My OH got Ralph Lauren slacks, £10 and jeans £15. RL always has good bargain. £10 Timberland cargo pants. My sister bought armani jeans for £17, which we could only dream when going in the store at Westfield. Guess always has good offer too. I got a leather across body and a shoulder bag for £30 each, which I think not too bad. Radley is great too love their cute handbags. And if you really look every inch in Cosmetic Company, they always have a hidden gem, I always found them in the glass display cabinet (you have to ask for the price, which most ppl don't do cause they assume what eva in the display should be expensive). Got estee lauder gift set of eye shadow+blusher+lips palette+make up bag £10. DKNY is another store that always do good sale.

And if you hunting for expensive designer items with bigger budget, you can actually got decent size handbag around £300 for Anya, D&G, Prada, Dior and Salvatore. But as I said we can't be shy and lazy in BV, look every inch of the store if you don't want miss the bargain, and ask if you can't find the price :cool: Bally shoes (man), you can get for less than £100. My elder sis are designer craze, I was drag into all these stores, that's how I found out about the price. And she can claim the VAT... more discount for her. hehehe :dance:

Good luck cazzap06, for your bargain hunting in Bicester... do report if you found any hidden gem

Jinxii

It's great if you're after genuine designer items at great prices. Compared to the high street they are still expensive but considering the quality and cost per wear it is always worth it! If you're after a designer handbag it's amazing, they've got Anya Hindmarch, Mulberry (!!! the shop is amazing even if you're not considering buying anything, decent size bags from £300-£400) and lots of other very high end brands like D&G, Gucci, Diane Von Furstenberg, Dior...

If you're looking for something more affordable I'd recommend Fat Face, which is tiny and a bit rummage-saley, Guess (got a pair of £160 jeans in there for £53 last time I went and they're beautiful. Avoid their jewellery and bags though, they're like chav tat), Calvin Klein Underwear, Monsoon, Accessorize, Karen Millen, French Connection, Ralph Lauren, Levis, Diesel, Superdry, Jack Wills and Clarks. There used to be a Quiksilver but sadly now it's gone. The Links of London shop is great if someone's got a milestone birthday coming up and their stock is always changing. There are some good bargains to be had if you need snow stuff like Helly Hansen, Tog 24 and The White Stuff. Great for gifts as well as they have some nice home shop like The White Company, Wedgewood, Molton Brown.

With regards to eating there isn't a Thai place at all. :S There's a French place called Villandry which is quite pricey, you're looking at £10-£20 for a main and a fiver for a dessert and then drinks. There's a Pret and a Starbucks but also a Carluccios which has an offer on at the moment: http://carlucciosadmin.evolvingsoftware.co.uk/static/images/vouchers/4.pdf The food is fabulous and there are healthy options as well. Enjoy your trip, make a list of what you're looking for before you go and don't expect any high-street style bargains! It's an investment piece, darrrrrling!

[Deleted User]

Thanks for all the advice so far ... Its been a GREAT help!!!

Have made a list now and fingers crossed for some lovely bargains!

Thanks Jinxii for the Carluccio's voucher - Will use it for a nice pasta lunch

AND I found a nice local wine tasting on there I'd like to attend too!

Its going to be a good couple of months BUT will still have to tighten my belt and save / put some money aside as I keep getting tempted by the great deals on the grabbit board! lol x

gentleorange

I live in Bicester, and I would echo the advice to get there early!! The traffic is ridiculous on the weekends as there is only one entrance, and it's also the entrance for the towns only Tesco superstore. It doesn't seem very well signposted as anyone walking outside always gets asked for directions! Just look for the big Tesco on the edge of town, Bic village is behind it. They have put in a multi-storey carpark now so parking isn't as bad as it used to be.

I would also consider taking a packed lunch for kids just in case as the queues at the cafes/restaurants can be out of the door at lunchtime, and even the pancake and icecream kiosks can be too busy to grab something quickly (there is the option of walking through to Tesco though).

My favourite shop is the Cosmetics Company because they always have cheap discontinued MAC make-up:) Clarks is good for shoes, most locals buy their kids' school shoes there.

Some of the shops are a bit sparse looking and the whip-thin assistants just look at you as if you've walked into their living room by mistake (I'm thinking mainly of Karen Millen!)

The bus from Oxford is good if you want a bit of a trip there too, it's a regular service and stops right round the corner from the village.

If you get the train in, there is a free taxibus service from Bicester station to take shoppers to the village and back.