How The Bicester Collection is using art to lure today’s discerning luxury shopper

Senior executive and industry veteran Desiree Bollier, Chair and Chief Merchant of Value Retail, the parent company of The Bicester Collection, explains how culture can attract and deepen the luxury shopping experience at a time when the luxury industry is in a global slump

Even as luxury sales are slowing down globally due to macroeconomic uncertainty, a slump in demand from China and evolving consumer concerns, luxury outlet shopping venues continue to thrive. Such retail destinations remain popular with shoppers, reporting strong sales and visitor numbers. In fact, The Bicester Collection, owned by Value Retail, is amongst the most popular in the world. Last year, 50 million people visited The Bicester Collection villages across the world.  Bicester Village outside London is said to be the second most visited site by Chinese tourists after Buckingham Palace! The company is projecting double digit growth as consumers seek value in pricing, which The Bicester Collection offers. They run twelve large open air shopping destinations, called “villages,” located across the US, UK, Europe and China, typically outside of big cities including New York, London, Paris, Dublin, Munich, Milan, Barcelona, and Shanghai, for example.

With recent initiatives to attract Indian and Middle Eastern buyers, The Bicester Collection is hoping to deepen its engagement with South Asians and Arabs. Indian shoppers were second to those from China in terms of sales, according to the company. In 2021, The Bicester Collection partnered with the Fashion Trust Arabia Prize to support emerging designers from the Middle East and North Africa. This year, the company introduced an annual start-up prize- the Unlock Her Future Prize -  to support female social entrepreneurs from South Asia, with winners receiving grants and being able to further their education at the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.

The Kurator spoke to Desirée Bollier, Chair & Chief Merchant of Value Retail, the creator and operator of The Bicester Collection Villages, about how the company hopes to continually attract visitors, not just from MENA and South Asia, but around the world. Desirée, a fashion retail industry veteran who has been with the company since 2001, explained that it is not just fashion alone that attracts people. A curated cultural experience is as important. The Bicester Collection villages “are more than shopping destinations; they are cultural oases,” she said.  

Indeed, visitors to the villages immediately see that these outlets differentiate themselves as high end venues where shoppers can not only access luxury retail at competitive prices while also experiencing art and culture. “There is a clear correlation between art and guest engagement,” explains Desirée. “Art stimulates curiosity,  fosters emotional connections and enhances the overall experience.” An art connoisseur who is on the board of the Royal Academy of Art in London, she believes that art plays an important role in how people experience luxury, creating unexpected  connections between fashion, culture and community. Desirée cites the book  ‘Unreasonable Hospitality’ by Will Guidara, the American restaurateur who redefined dining alongside chef Daniel Humm at Eleven Madison Park, as a source of inspiration for what the Villages aim to do with their hospitality. “We curate immersive destinations where art and design, culture,  fashion, and hospitality converge to surprise and delight our guests. Each Village is a reflection of its surroundings – curated to seamlessly blend world-class  shopping and hospitality with the rich heritage of its region.

In today’s fractured world of ephemeral loyalty, consumers need an emotional connect, with strong messaging. Art is one way to establish that. Desirée notes that “consumer expectations are evolving – fashion, art, hospitality, music and  sport no longer exist in silos but converge to shape a richer, more connected cultural  landscape.”

The Bicester Collection factors that into account when curating significant visitor experiences for shoppers when they visit the villages. For example, at La Vallée Village, just outside Paris, guests can immerse themselves in the vibrant  world of acclaimed street artist Jace and his ‘Gouzou’ through an exhibition celebrating love in all its forms. This spring, at Ingolstadt Village near Munich, guests will  encounter a series of hand-painted façades by artist Kera Till, celebrating the Village’s  twentieth anniversary. The installation invites  guests to feel part of a living, evolving story. A bespoke tote bag featuring the artist’s work can be purchased, with the proceeds going to charity. Your Style, Your Game is an upcoming collaboration at Barcelona’s La Roca Village. This bespoke  work, featuring Indian-British artist Sejal Parekh and Spanish artist Oscar Lorenzo,  blends artistic expression with the dynamic energy of fashion and sport. Another example is Love Imperfection, the company’s collaboration with Her Royal Highness Princess  Delphine of Saxe-Coburg at Maasmechelen Village, which serves Brussels-Antwerp-Cologne. This Village-wide takeover featured  interactive art installations alongside The Creative Spot pop-up, where 11 emerging  Belgian designers – personally selected by the princess – showcased their work. 

“By commissioning artists to create works unique to each destination, we infuse our  Villages with a sense of place and purpose – where retail becomes an evolving cultural  dialogue and every visit offers something new to discover,” Desirée explains. “By partnering with leading local artists, curators and institutions, we craft experiences  that feel authentic and rooted in place, ensuring each Village remains a cultural  destination in its own right – distinct, yet undeniably part of The Bicester Collection’s  global luxury experience.” 

There is an  upcoming collaboration for Milan Design Week, where Fidenza Village will unveil an immersive art installation by the acclaimed design duo Pangea, which had recently transformed Paris’ Orly airport for the Olympics. Pangea’s new work,  debuting at Università Statale in Milan from 7–17 April, explores the theme of happiness – what sparks it, how we experience it and its impact on our lives. In early May, visitors can see it if they visit the Fidenza Village.

Collaborations  with institutions including the Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona and installations  by artists such as Cyril Lancelin at La Vallée Village outside Paris are other examples of how the villages function as open-air art galleries. As Desirée notes, “these thoughtful intersections of creativity and hospitality forge a deeper emotional  connection, ensuring that every visit is not just about shopping but about experiencing  something meaningful and memorable. At The Bicester Collection, we see art not as an embellishment, but as an essential  element of place-making. Through architecture, design and curated collaborations, the Villages become living galleries – where every visit is an invitation to discover something  extraordinary.”