Bicester Village is famous as the UK's premier luxury designer outlet, offering significant discounts (up to 40% off) on over 150 high-end brands like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, in a picturesque, village-style setting with restaurants, attracting millions of international tourists, especially from China and the Middle East, for an "experiential" shopping trip with tax-free benefits and services like personal shoppers.
At the very heart of Bicester Village is their premium selection of designer boutiques that offer everything from luxury fashion, accessories, and lifestyle products at great prices, all year round! Home to over 150 stores, offering high-end retail, without the full price tag, it's a real shop-till-you-drop situation!
While Bicester Village is known for its designer discounts, Chinese consumers don't come only for bargains—they come for an experience. The village-style layout, open-air cafés, manicured paths, and seasonal decorations all evoke a sense of European leisure.
The Bicester Collection was born in 1995 when the founders of Value Retail took their innovative concept of Two Rodeo Drive and transported it to a plot of land in rural England. Bicester Village was the first of this new retail concept in Europe, offering 'experiential' shopping as well as value for money.
Bicester is also home to the famous luxury shopping destination of Bicester Village, now with over 150 boutiques; and to Bicester Heritage, the UK's first dedicated centre for the restoration and display of vintage and classic cars, motorcycles and aeroplanes.
Bicester Village Guide: Everything You Need to Know Before Visiting
What is the poshest shop in the UK?
Harrods in London is the most luxurious shop in the UK. This iconic department store is renowned for its world-class customer service and luxury goods. More than 100,000 visitors flock to Harrods every day to experience this famous British institution.
The hangar held various vintage vehicles, including a Bedford 1960's mobile cinema bus, a 1968 Bristol RELH Red & White coach, and a Thirstywagon 1920's mobile bar.
The Village itself is beautifully laid out with individual 'houses' in a village street design - no undercover, inside Mall here. It is beautiful - spotlessly clean and immaculate - large number of shops - all high end- but feels compact enough not to 'walk your feet off'.
“British style has the accent of a gentleman. With retro tones, it restores the classic style of the brand.” The emphasis is on a traditional vision of Britishness, which has an enduring appeal in China and many global markets. CEO Jonathan Akeroyd has cited Britishness as fundamental to Burberry's DNA.
The best days to visit Bicester Village for fewer crowds are weekdays, especially Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, arriving right at opening (9 or 10 AM) for the most peaceful experience and best stock selection. For potential deals, late Thursday afternoons/early evenings can be good as stores prep for the weekend, or consider January for bigger discounts. Avoid weekends and school holidays if you dislike crowds.
While Outlet Village offers a more relaxing shopping experience with fewer stores, Outlet Mall gives better discounts and more variety. For more options, check out the other popular malls in Dubai. Apart from the Dubai cheap shopping markets there are many other places for retail therapy in the city.
Bicester was an ancient parish. It was subdivided into two townships, called King's End and Market End. Such townships became civil parishes in 1866. The parish historically also included Stratton Audley, which was a chapelry of Bicester until it was made a separate parish around 1455.
Bicester Village was built 30 years ago by Value Retail, a privately held group founded by Scott Malkin, whose father once owned the Empire State Building, and backed by L. Catterton, a private-equity firm part-owned by lvmh, a French luxury-goods giant.
Bicester began its life as a simple market town. Lying on the junction of two Roman Roads, the name 'Bicester' is possibly derived from its Roman History, coming from the Latin for 'two forts' or from a personal name 'Beorna' which means 'Fort of the Warrior'.
How long does it take to walk around Bicester Village?
How long should you spend at Bicester Village? Since Bicester Village includes over 150 boutiques and more than 10 cafés across the 350,000-sq-ft site (it even boasts a children's playground), we'd say it would take about 4 hours to visit the village and to check out an ample number of shops.
Yes, Bicester Village offers Blue Light Card holders a 10% saving on the Village price in participating boutiques and restaurants, accessed via a QR code/eVIP Pass from partners like Health Service Discounts, providing extra discounts for NHS, emergency services, teachers, and armed forces members on top of existing savings, with details available on the Blue Light Card website and partner portals.
When it comes to luxury, Knightsbridge is unmatched. Home to Harrods, Hyde Park and some of the city's most elegant residences, this area is a magnet for international billionaires, celebrities and royals alike. Properties here routinely fetch £20 million or more, making it one of the priciest addresses in the world.
Comparing Oxfordshire's larger towns and cities, and using Crime Risk Scores - which are calculated by taking severity of each crime type into account - Blackbird Leys is the most dangerous. The next most dangerous is Great Faringdon, and Oxford comes in as third most dangerous.
