23 October, 2019

By VIVA Team

Shopping in Malaga

First designer outlet on the Costa del Sol

Today’s post is a sort of announcement related to shopping in Malaga. A say sort of because the ribbon was supposed to be cut on the province’s first ever designer outlet shopping centre yesterday, however it turns out shoppers will have to wait a bit longer for its official inauguration.

Málaga Designer Outlet1, as it will be called, has had to postpone its grand opening because of ongoing road works on the A7 highway that runs parallel to its location in the Plaza Mayor shopping centre.

Apparently, the granting of the commercial licence for the first phase of the project was contingent on the completion of a new motorway exit to ease traffic to the development as a whole… which, as you’ve probably guessed, is still not finished.

Hence why it wasn’t ready and open for business yesterday and, probably, won’t be for a couple of months. “Typical Spain”, you’re thinking. Typical Spain indeed.

Open in time for Christmas?

The suits behind the construction will no doubt be livid at the prospect of missing the pre-Christmas retail rush, as, for now, the bulk of people’s winter shopping in Malaga will be done literally next door in the existing phases of Plaza Mayor.

But that’s not really my concern. And I’m pretty certain it’s not yours either. We’re just excited about the prospect of having a wander around the Costa del Sol’s first designer outlet and saving a few bob on brand name clothes and accessories.

Another string to the Costa del Sol's bow

After all, when you think about it, there’s not a lot the Costa del Sol doesn’t have. An international airport, Michelin Star restaurants, many world-class golf courses, sandy beaches, great schools, healthcare centres and some of the best property for sale in Spain.

Shopping in Malaga: The Coast's First Designer Outlet Coming Soon! Puerto Banús shops

There are even hundreds of options if you want to go shopping in Malaga province. Large retail parks and shopping centres are strategically spaced out along the coast in prominent areas like Estepona, Marbella, Fuengirola and Málaga, while all the upmarket brands can be found in Puerto Banús and Sotogrande, for example.

But it has been lacking a designer outlet: that perfect fusion, if you like, between brand-name shopping and high street stores. If I were pretentious, I’d call this mix “Fuengi Banús”, although they’ve gone for the safer shout with “Málaga Designer Outlet”.

Málaga Designer Outlet

The 30,000m2 shopping complex will become designer outlet specialist McArthurGlen’s twenty-fifth worldwide location in 10 different countries. It has been built as an annex to the existing Plaza Mayor shopping centre, which is ideally located just three minutes from Málaga-Costa del Sol airport and less than 15 minutes from both central Málaga and Benalmádena.

Shopping in Malaga: The Coast's First Designer Outlet Coming Soon! Outlet complex render

It will be home to over 100 designer brands including Adolfo Domínguez, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Diesel, Escada, Guess, Hugo Boss, Karl Lagerfeld, Lacoste, Levi's, Polo Ralph Lauren, Scalpers and Tommy Hilfiger. The outlet chain boasts potential savings of up to 70% off the ticket price in different stores and on certain lines.

I'm a convert!

I must admit I'm not a person who feels the need to partake in regular retail therapy, but I do love a good outlet. Ever since I went to the huge one in New Jersey in the United States, I've sworn never to pay full price for top-branded goods ever again.

There's also one in Madrid - on a much smaller scale, of course - called "Las Rozas Village", which was great and kept me in clothes every six months or so when I was living there. But it was absolute murder to get to from the city centre and there wasn't a lot in the way of public transport.

The Málaga Designer Outlet, however, does not have that problem. Shopping in Malaga will be revolutionised by the addition of this outlet store, which is in a prime Costa del Sol location and is easily accessible from anywhere on the Coast by cercanías train, bus or if you're driving. 

As long as the world's slowest workmen get round to finishing the new turn-off, that is.


Sources:

1 https://www.mcarthurglen.com/en/outlets/es/designer-outlet-malaga/