England’s Potteries: past and present pioneers of factory shopping

This research note discusses the difficulty which factory outlet operators are experiencing in finding suitable sites in the UK and, using the example of Freeport Leisure’s acquisition of United Norwest hypermarket in Stoke and other converted “failed” shopping formats, shows how redeveloped sites with low acquisition costs are a likely option for future factory outlet developers. The acquisition has been successful because of the selection of product type for sale (ceramics which lend themselves to discount prices) and location (at the heart of the Potteries).