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Bicester Village
Introduction
Bicester shopping village was built in 1995 outside the Oxfordshire town of Bicester and is one part of a chain of 10 similar designer outlet shopping villages located in international destinations, such as in Shanghai, Italy, Germany, Ireland and Belgium.
It attracts bargain hunters from the local area and beyond as it offers shoppers the opportunity to buy designer and luxury goods at a discount. It is ideal of those wanting to buy designer items such as a pair of shoes or a handbag for a special occasion.
It is also a popular destination for shoppers particularly foreign tourists. It is the second most visited location in Britain by Chinese tourists, after Buckingham Palace. It can get busy - it attracts an astounding staggering 6.3 million tourists a year. It is also the first outlet village to sell luxury and designer brands in the UK. There are now 130 shops and seven restaurants/cafes here.
It was built in the style of a village on the outskirts of the Oxfordshire market town, Bicester. It is easy for pedestrians to leave their car in the free adjacent car park and walk round the well planned and presented village, designed in the style of traditional Oxfordshire rural dwellings with cobble-stoned footpaths and spacious boulevards.
For non- drivers, Bicester Shopping Village is located midway between London and Birmingham and has excellent transport links via coach, train and bus. The village offers a unique shopping experience: it is open seven days a week. It is not so much an outlet but a destination with lots of services offered to the shopper.
Shopping Venue
Retail Park
When late shopping is available.
All
Everyday
Food Choices
Bicester Village offers dining options to suit most tastes. There are seven food outlets, most of which offer al fresco dining. There is a farm shop restaurant serving local British and seasonal food for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu uses locally sourced produce, and offers a children’s menu.
It is possible to try a coffee and croissant at Le Pain Quotidien, to enjoy English and continental breakfasts, croissants and pastries at the Villandry Grand Café and Japanese cuisine at Itsu. Cafes include Prêt à Manger, Crêperie Angélie and Manja. The food overall is good but pricey. There are no supermarkets on site but Bicester Shopping Village is next door to a Tesco Superstore, if you want to buy cheaper sandwiches and snacks.
Food choices available in the shopping centre.
Coffee
Entertainment
Throughout the year, there are seasonal events involving live music and entertainment. Christmas offers a snow-covered experience and seasonal treats. During the summer, there are live bands offering shoppers a summer soundtrack. The Bicester Village website displays upcoming events to enhance the shopping experience.
There is children's play area is specially designed for younger guests. which is open during Village opening hours and is located opposite Villandry Grand Café.
Entertainment
Small Playground
Shops
It would be time-consuming to list all the 130 shops here but here is a sample of designer brand names with outlets here: Alexander McQueen, Armani, Balenciaga, Barbour, Dolce & Gabbana, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Prada. In fact, any major fashion designer can be found here. The selling point is that these brand names are usually fresh off the catwalk but retail at about 70% less than their original price. The village doesn’t offer the typical High Street or Shopping Centre experience as all the shops offer luxury and designer items at a reduced price, but these are still not cheap for the average shopper.
Many of the shops offer high-end fashion, but it is also possible to buy jewellery and watches. For example, Calvin Klein sells its famous brand of underwear in one shop and luxury watches and jewellery in another. Le Crueset sells its infamous hand-crafted cast iron pots, which are popular accessories in traditional style kitchens. L’Occitane en Provence also has a shop selling its luxury beauty and pampering products.
It is possible to buy designer jeans at Levis; glamorous accessories at Marc Jacobs; luxury leather goods at Bottega de Venta and interior design products at Armani Home. Put simply, all designer brands have an outlet at Bicester Village that caters for the whole gamut of luxury and designer living.
The shops are open on weekdays and Saturdays from 9 am until 7/8 pm. On Sundays, they are open from 10 am until 7pm.
For supermarket shopping, there is a Tesco superstore next to the village.
Shopping Experience
Bicester Village is usually always busy every single day it is open, which is Monday to Sunday. It attracts 6.3 million shoppers a year, mainly Chinese tourists and regardless of the time of year, it is always heaving. The shopping village is well-designed, with attractive flowerbeds and quaint cobbled pathways and the shop fronts themselves are brightly coloured and attractive but there are often queues outside both the restaurants.
It is an outdoor attraction, and is a lovely location in the summer months with sun terraces to dine out on or enjoy a drink. If it is raining or cold, shoppers will need to wrap up accordingly.
The general prices of goods in the shopping centre.
Expensive
Services
Mothers:
There is a family feeding room but it is little more than a toilet and may not be ideal for nursing mothers as it lacks comfort and space. There is a limited number of pushchairs that can be hired from The Visitor Centre or Information Hub. It is not possible to book pushchairs in advance.Shopping wise, there are several shops that sell children and babies clothes such as petit Bateau, Ralph Lauren Boys and Girls, and Oscar de la Renta.
There are two children’s play areas for toddlers and older children but all supervision is on the onus of the parents.
Disabled:
There are disabled spaces in the car park and there are a limited number of wheelchairs and mobility scooters that can be hired free of charge for the day at the Visitor Centre and Information Hub. Unfortunately, it is not possible to book wheelchairs or scooters in advance. Assistance dogs are allowed everywhere in the village. Everything is on one level and there are disabled toilets available throughout the village.Kids:
The children's play area is open during Village opening hours and is located opposite Villandry Grand Café. The floor is covered in bark chippings making it soft and safe. The equipment is all wooden rope walkways, a climbing wall, slides, rockers, monkey bars and little huts on stilts. There is a smaller play area for younger children in the Prêt à Manger garden which also sells ice cream.There are activities throughout the village in winter such as snow-making to keep the kids entertained. Older children can enjoy the free Wi-Fi to use on their smart phones.
Public:
The village has a Visitor Centre, and an Information Hub, located adjacent to Bicester Village Train Station, and are the first places for shoppers to approach if they have any questions. These are open seven days a week and not only helps shoppers with queries about the village itself but provides extra information about the local area, such as expert advice on local attractions etc.For Smart Phone users, there is free in-village Wi-Fi and an interactive Bicester Village app – complete with maps and details of all Village boutiques.
Other unique services on offer, are hands free shopping where visitors can shop and have boutique assistants pack purchases ready for collection. There is a Tax Refund service and currency exchange, a luggage drop service, valet parking, worldwide delivery, baby changing facilities, and prayer and meditation rooms. The new Bicester Village Train Station, is situated in the car park, it is on a new £100m line that speeds from Marylebone to Bicester in 46 minutes.
Tourists:
Bicester Village attracts 6.3 million tourists each year. 2.5 million of these are from the UK. Most foreign tourists are from China who tend to visit directly from London. In Bicester Village, there is a Visitor Centre and Information Hub, that aids on all tourist matters such as with booking accommodation.Nearby in Bicester itself, there is a Travelodge, a Premier inn and self-catering accommodation as well as higher end hotels, offering spa and golf experiences. Because of its proximity to Oxford and the short time it takes to get to London, many tourists opt to widen their range of places to stay.
There are 23 cash machines in the town (three being in the village itself). There is a Bureau de Change boutique in the village provided by the Change Group Corporation, which can change more than 40 currencies from around the world. They also provide tax and vat refunds. This is conveniently located next to the Bicester Visitor Centre.
Other available feature unique for the shopping centre.
Car Wash
Currency Exchange
Hotels & Accommodations
Services
Free WIFI
Car Valeting service
Tourist Information Desk
Security
First Aiders Stuff
Cash Machine
Personal Shopping
Disable people facilities and services.
Toilets
Mothers Services & Facilities
Baby Feeding Facilities
Baby Changing Facilities
Parents Parking
Facilities
Rest rooms
Parking
There are in total, 1838 spaces, in the free car park which is only s short walk from the village. There is disabled and coach parking. Bicester Village also offers Valet Parking in advance for just £20. The car park is manned by attendants and is secure.
Also, Bicester is only a 5-minute journey on the bus from the park and ride run by the council, where there are 580 parking spaces including 14 disabled bays that are free and open for 24 hours.
Parking
Big Parking
Free Parking
Location
Bicester Shopping Village is situated on the outskirts of Bicester, which is pleasant short walk way if you want to visit the Church or wander around the Market Square.
Oxford is only a short drive away (30 minutes), either by car or bus.
There are, regular trains from Birmingham and Oxford, that arrive at the Village Train Station.
Shopping Location
Remote
Accommodations Proximity
The City
Although Bicester is an historic market town with a population of approximately 30,000 people, it is one of the fastest growing towns in Oxfordshire. It is a garden city and has many new developments being built on its surrounding green fields.
Bicester town is a short walk away from the shopping village and there are places of interest to visit such as the church and the historic shopping such as Sheep Street and Market Square, which have a range of shops, cafés, pubs and restaurants. The centre has retained its olde worlde charm as the town grows outwards in housing and retail development.
In the town, there is a Sainsbury’s and a seven screen Cinema. There are weekly markets on Fridays, and occasional farmers’ markets and French markets.
A short distance away from Bicester Village is the Bicester Avenue Home and Garden Centre, which is one of the largest garden centres in the UK.
In Bicester, itself, there is another train station as well as the one located in the Shopping Village.
Tips
Try to get to Bicester Shopping Village early as within an hour of opening on each day, the place gets busy with queues outside stores starting to form. Similarly, the alien you arrive by car the nearer you can park to the Village.
Finding It
Address
- Bicester Village 50 Pingle Drive
- Bicester
- OX26 6WD
Opening Hours
Monday : 09:00 - 19:00
Tuesdays : 09:00 - 19:00
Wednesday : 09:00 - 19:00
Thursday : 09:00 - 19:00
Friday : 09:00 - 19:00
Saturday : 09:00 - 20:00
Sunday : 10:00 - 19:00
