THE NETHERLANDS. HMSHost International has announced a strategic move into the designer outlet shopping centre business.
The company has signed a 10-year contract with McArthurGlen, an owner, developer and manager of designer outlets, with an estimated sales value in excess of €100 million.
The move sees HMSHost diversify its operations beyond airports and railway stations.
The partnership will become effective by the end of 2016. By the beginning of 2017, HMSHost Nederland BV will operate eight concepts and one mobile kiosk at McArthurGlen’s Roermond Designer Outlet in the Netherlands.
The outlet attracted 5.6 million visitors in 2015. Its visitor numbers have grown +10% year-on-year for the past three years.
McArthurGlen, which owns 22 designer outlets in Europe and North America, said it wanted a food & beverage operator “that could harmonise the positioning of the shopping centre with the profile of its visitors”. As well as local shoppers, these include visitors from neighbouring countries Germany and Belgium as well as Asian tourists.
HMSHost International will introduce and operate a variety of new food & beverage concepts at Roermond Designer Outlet. A highlight will be Kamps Backstube, which will serve freshly-baked goods, including traditional German pretzel products, and a range of freshly prepared cold and hot snack choices. Other concepts include Doner Kebab & Pommes Frites, Entrée Bakery Café and two new Starbucks locations (the first in the southern part of the Netherlands).
The company will also operate German F&B concept Käfer, Burger Federation, and Sausage Company.
“HMSHost International has clear ambitions for growth. We aligned this at airports before moving into railway stations. Now designer outlet shopping centres are the focus of our next strategic move and we are thrilled to work closely with McArthurGlen,” said HMSHost International CEO Walter Seib.
“We are focusing on enhancing the experience by analysing the customer journey and providing value for their time and money. Our vision remains: to be the world’s undisputed and most reliable food & beverage operator.”
McArthurGlen Development Director Pieter van Voorst Vader commented: “At McArthurGlen Designer Outlets we welcome guests from all over the world offering them a unique shopping experience. It is our priority to connect with these different nationalities, whether long or short haul travellers or visitors from our local catchment and we continuously adapt our business to their needs.
“Visitors to McArthurGlen centres come not only for our strong mix of designer brands but also because we offer them a wide choice of dining experiences which play a key part in achieving all round customer satisfaction.”
van Voorst Vader noted that HMSHost International was the “right partner” because it shared the same values while its strategic concepts met both McArthurGlen’s and its customers’ needs.
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