Designing YVR’s Outlet Mall

YVR Outlet Mall | BCBusiness
As indicated in this rendering, the YVR mall will feature an open-air plaza with room for live outdoor entertainment.

Airport shopping in Vancouver is getting a luxury injection for spring 2015

Vancouver Airport Authority has begun construction on an open-air designer outlet mall that promises to be a regional draw for locals and tourists alike. “We think this is an opportunity to repatriate some of those shoppers who are spending money in the U.S.,” says the authority’s senior vice-president of business development, Tony Gugliotta.

The airport has partnered with McArthurGlen Group, a European developer and manager of retail outlets, and is currently negotiating with luxury retailers and restaurateurs to populate the centre for its planned April 2015 opening. Along with dining and shopping, the open-air village model will provide opportunities for live entertainment. “The objective here is to make the designer outlet centre an experience,” says Gugliotta, adding that developing an open-air model was a conscious decision, following the current trend in retail that is moving away from enclosed malls.

All in the Details

Phase one of the designer outlet centre is set to open in April 2015, with an estimated 100 stores and 22,500 square metres of retail space.

The centre will be located next to Templeton Station on the Canada Line, and trips between the outlet centre and the main terminal will be free of charge.

Revenue from the outlet centre—along with all non-aeronautical revenue at YVR—will be reinvested into the airport, helping to relieve the pressure to charge passengers and airlines to help pay for running and updating the airport. In 2012 non-aeronautical revenue was $172.6 million, exceeding aeronautical revenue by $55.9 million.

In addition to being a significant revenue source, the new centre will boost YVR’s appeal as an international destination. “We want YVR to be a premier airport, and airports today are more than just terminal buildings,” says Gugliotta.