Shopping outlet Bicester Village is poised to launch a home/hotel delivery service which agents can sell to their clients and earn commission.
This follows the introduction of other added value extras such as valet parking and a service called ‘hands free’ shopping, where someone collects shoppers’ purchases from stores around the village and delivers to them at the end of the day, which are also commissionable to the trade.
Senior tourism manager Helen Peters said the designer outlet shopping centre was working hard to make Bicester Village – and it’s eight sister Chic Outlet shopping villages run by Value Retail all over Europe – an easier sell for agents.
Packages which include express coach travel from central London, a two-course meal voucher and a £50 gift card, have also been created which agents can purchase online at the nett rate of £95 and sell on to their clients with a potential mark-up.
In all cases, agents wanting to sell Bicester and other Chic Outlet shopping experiences, should call Peters to receive a promotional code which they enter at the time of booking to receive their commission.
Peters was speaking at the launch of Bicester Village’s ‘British Designers’ Collective’, an innovative pop-up boutique which showcases the best of up-and-coming British design talent.
Linking it with the stately homes of England theme of the boutique, throughout the summer, the village will be dressed with quirky topiary and eye-catching sculptures to reflect the British sense of fun and eccentricity. It will also be open until 9pm, with additional catering facilities from June.
Peters said 2012 had got off to a flying start with train and coach visitors to the village up 25% in January and February but she said it was important to focus on adding more features during the summer months to counter any potential shortfall in visitors due to the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics.
“We want to do our bit to herald the Government and Visit Britain’s GREAT campaign and make sure that we maintain our visitors to Bicester Village and to partner attractions including Waddeson Manor and Blenheim Palace,” she said.
“Agents selling shopping tourism days/weekends to their clients could really help us with that goal.”