Our History
VIA Outlets was established in 2014, and since then we have been on a journey. We have acquired new centres, expanded, found new ways to elevate the shopping experience while working closely with our brand partners every step of the way. We are proud to look back over the last decade and celebrate some of our biggest achievements and milestones over the years.
A digital evolution
This year we launched our bespoke digital recruitment tool, My Jobs, in our Portuguese. Using an algorithm, we support brands by matching candidates with the right skills and experience with roles in our centres. We also launched 12 newly redesigned websites across our entire portfolio. Beyond the digital space, the Sevilla Fashion Outlet expansion was completed, adding 4,000 m2 GLA to the centre.
Continuing Our Sustainability Journey
In 2022, we made great strides forward in our sustainability journey. Our entire portfolio environmental management system was certified to ISO 14.001 standards. Also, the new Oslo Fashion Outlet multi-storey car park opened, which does not require mechanical ventilation or heating. With 23 EV chargers and 16 super EV chargers, the centre is one of the largest super charging stations in Norway.
Raising the bar in-centre
Stepping into the world of pre-loved fashion, we opened our first ‘Re.Love’ pop-up store. We also established our first visual merchandising ‘Glasshouse’ at Landquart Fashion Outlet, while our company-wide rebranding clarified our brand purpose. At Vila do Conde Porto Fashion Outlet our retail park was built, and we raised €600 million in inaugural VIA Outlets Green Bond issuance.
A year of change
In the first year of the pandemic, we saw change across our entire industry. We partnered with leading testing and certification expert Bureau Veritas during COVID-19 to create a ‘Safer Shopping’ certificate, which was granted to all our centres. Our sustainability efforts were also recognised when we received our first 5-star GRESB rating. In addition, APG became the sole owner of the business.
Our new CEO
In 2019, we reached several key milestones across multiple areas of the business. Our expansion of Hede Fashion Outlet was completed, adding 2,500 m2 of retail space and 15 new stores to the centre. We also rolled out our Fashion Club loyalty program across all centres. On a corporate level, Otto Ambagtsheer was appointed CEO, and APG and Hammerson PLC jointly took ownership of the business.
New achievement with BREEAM
On an asset level, 100% of the portfolio was certified by BREEAM In-Use Part 1: Asset Performance. The scores ranged from 'Good' to 'Very Good'.
New acquisitions
In 2017, we continued to expand our presence across Europe. We acquired Zweibrücken The Style Outlets (now Zweibrücken Fashion Outlet), Norwegian Outlet Oslo (now Oslo Fashion Outlet) and Vila do Conde the Style Outlets (now Vila do Conde Porto Fashion Outlet). We also built our first expansion of 6,700 m2 in Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet, which included 40 new stores and our first VIP Room.
Three new centres join VIA Outlets
With five centres already part of our portfolio, throughout 2016 we acquired three other centres. These were Festival Park, now known as Mallorca Fashion Outlet, Sevilla The Style Outlets, now named Sevilla Fashion Outlet, and Factory Wroclaw, which is now named Wrocław Fashion Outlet. In addition, we made our first key investment of €20 million to renew Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet.
Expanding our presence across Portugal, Sweden & Switzerland
In 2015, our focus was on expanding our presence to other countries across Europe. We acquired Hede Fashion Outlet in Sweden, previously known as Freeport Kungsbacka; Designer Outlet Landquart in Switzerland, now named Landquart Fashion Outlet; and Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet in Portugal.
The Launch of VIA Outlets
Our journey began in 2014. VIA Outlets was established as a joint venture between APG, Hammerson PLC, Value Retail, and Meyer Bergman. In our first year, we acquired Batavia Stad Fashion Outlet in the Netherlands and Fashion Arena Prague Outlet in the Czech Republic.