IdleRich

IdleRich
Have you been to the Bicester Outlet "Village"? It's a completely fake town with nothing but designer stuff for sale. The signs are in Arabic and Japanese cos people fly to London and then get the train straight to it to get bargains... dunno if they are real bargains. But the "real" town centre above does rather remind me of the totally ersatz one below.

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RWY

Well-known member
I've been there, very odd place. Whilst the majority of the merchandise on sale is of a reduced price, you can't really pick up bargains there as you can in similar outlet villages such as the Clarks Village in Somerset or the various Nike Factory Stores dotted around the country. As you say, it really does seem to operate more as a shopping destination strictly for wealthy Arabs and Chinese who have probaby never been shopping anywhere in London (nevermind Britain) away from the West End.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
Yeah I think the bargains are exaggerated, maybe there are some good ones, I dunno, I don't know the real prices. It's near where my parents live so I have been there a few times.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
There's one near here - I haven't been but from the pics it looks amazingly similar. But I'm getting a bit away from grim britannia into fake not-grim not-britannia

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boxedjoy

Well-known member
high street shops 027.jpgimagine3.jpg

my hometown has this really weird thing where all the shops that have been shut now have fake fronts pretending to be real businesses. It's an imaginary high street brought to life.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
I've heard a few folk go on about Bicester as if it's full of bargains. A £200 jacket down to £100 might be 50% off but its still £100 I don't have in my pocket to spend and it seems like it's designed for people who care about brands rather than looking good.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
I could only find two photos but last time I was there it was a good run of six or seven shops in a row that all had this on them. The only thing we have left is hairdressers, bookmakers and a very sad looking WH Smith.
 

luka

Well-known member
i like how its ordering you to imagine a better town than the one you actually have. but why stop at department store when you could have fairy palace or tropical jungle
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I could only find two photos but last time I was there it was a good run of six or seven shops in a row that all had this on them. The only thing we have left is hairdressers, bookmakers and a very sad looking WH Smith.
WHS is the pits but seemingly immune to any economic downturn. They'll probably still be there after the nuclear apocalypse.
 

Mr. Tea

Let's Talk About Ceps
I've heard a few folk go on about Bicester as if it's full of bargains. A £200 jacket down to £100 might be 50% off but its still £100 I don't have in my pocket to spend and it seems like it's designed for people who care about brands rather than looking good.
This sounds about right.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
WHS is the pits but seemingly immune to any economic downturn. They'll probably still be there after the nuclear apocalypse.
it astonishes me that they exist outside of public transport hubs. Who needs a packet of ten pens for £4 when pound shops exist? And their shops are so grey and miserable inside, it's always a really sad experience when I find myself inside one.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
I've heard a few folk go on about Bicester as if it's full of bargains. A £200 jacket down to £100 might be 50% off but its still £100 I don't have in my pocket to spend and it seems like it's designed for people who care about brands rather than looking good.
I dunno if it ever really cost 200 though is the point, maybe in one place for one day. I dunno, you see some stuff that says it's down from like 800 to 100 or whatever but I don't know if I believe it.
 

IdleRich

IdleRich
i like how its ordering you to imagine a better town than the one you actually have. but why stop at department store when you could have fairy palace or tropical jungle
Go x amount crazy but no further, that would be mad.
 

boxedjoy

Well-known member
a lot of companies will sell stuff for 30 days at a higher price then reduce it but have no intention of ever seeing it sold at the original price. Putting the stock in one low-footfall branch in a limited run before slashing the price then making it widely available, that kind of thing.
 
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