Brands too have realised the appeal of landing a postcard pretty storefront here with stiff competition to get prime spots and underperformers swiftly moved out. Cool pop-ups have taken the place of previous high street brands. Just this summer, there’s new Diptyque, Heidi Klein and Augustinus Bader outlet boutiques plus a Do Good store, featuring preloved and new designer items, with 100 per cent of the sales going to the Smart Works charity, helping unemployed women get back into the workplace.
Tiffanie Darke, acting CEO of Smart Works, calls the charity’s partnership with Bicester Village, now in its fourth consecutive year, “one of our most successful fundraising moments” and said money raised from the partnership has doubled the number of women they’ve been able to support. “It is a very joyful place,” she adds.
For me, I may well not be blowing all my paychecks on handbags right now (nursery fees and a mortgage see to that) but I know I’ll be back again. The floral-lined streets at Bicester Village have the ability to make anyone feel good about themselves, whatever your age, however deep your pockets.