Celebrate Thirty Years of Bicester Village: The Original Then, The Original Now

Bicester Village, the first mover in luxury shopping, proudly celebrates its 30th anniversary with the launch of a two-part campaign, ‘The Original Then, The Original Now.’

On 26 April 1995, at 10.00 BST, Bicester Village cut the ribbon to open what would become one of Britain’s most visited destinations. Over the 30 years that have followed, the Village has evolved into a global family of twelve open-air destinations near the world’s most iconic cities, including London, Paris, Shanghai and New York.

Despite the many transformations the retail industry has undergone in the past 30 years, Bicester Village has never wavered from its commitment to the luxury physical retail experience. The Village continues to redefine luxury retail with more than

150 boutiques of international brands, fine dining experiences and an unrivalled dedication to hospitality. Despite its expansion, the heart of Bicester Village has remained unchanged: a commitment to offering a unique combination of flagship physical retail, bespoke services and, above all, emotional connection. It has continually innovated to meet the changing needs of its guests, ensuring that each visit to Bicester Village  feels  fresh,  unique  and  exciting.

This anniversary honours not only the hard work, dedication and vision that has gone into building Bicester Village into the brand it is today, but also the people and the community who have supported it a long the way.

PART ONE: THEN: NINETEEN-NINTY FIVE

The ‘90s were a time of uprising, creativity, innovation and an editorial tone that was equally rife within the team at Bicester Village as they embarked on building the brand. Part one of the anniversary series offers a tribute to this iconic decade through an exciting programme of experiences, highlighting Bicester Village’s continued commitment to bringing people together to experience something truly immersive and unforgettable in real life.

ONE SOURCE OF NEWS

Bicester Village has collaborated with The Gentlewoman to create a bespoke, 97-page magazine titled 1995, a literary time capsule and memento celebrating the spirit of the decade. With a reading time equivalent to the rail journey from Marylebone Station to Bicester Village, it makes the perfect journey companion before visitors arrive and experience nostalgic touchpoints. From

1 May to 16 June, a bespoke ‘Village News’ pop-up will feature in the mall, offering limited-edition nostalgic ‘90s merchandise such as pick ’n’ mix and pin badges, as well as a limited run of 1995 caps, copies of 1995 and a 1995 post-box where guests will be able to share their favourite  1995 moment.

NINE VILLAGE HAPPENINGS

A series of immersive experiences for guests built around Bicester Village’s continued commitment to bringing people together: In July, Bicester Village will welcome an iconic Britpop legend (to be announced 21.04) to talk about all things ‘90s nostalgia. This event will be ticketed and available to Bicester Village members on a first- come, first-served basis. In addition, a bespoke playlist of the decade’s most prominent tracks has been created for guests to experience inside one of the Village’s red phone boxes, which have been transformed into ‘90s-inspired listening booths. By scanning their QR code whilst they shop, new and existing members will enjoy the chance to win a £1,995 Bicester Village Gift Card and a night’s stay at the boutique, five- star Old Parsonage Hotel in Oxford.

NINE BRAND NEW ACTIVATIONS

Partnering with some of the Village’s most renowned brands both ‘then and now’, the Village is curating physical, fashionable and culinary moments to surprise and delight guests. Be transported back to the ‘90s with exclusive themed dishes, priced  at

£19.95 from Cecconi’s, farmshop restaurant & café and Ottolenghi. Fashion fans can find an exclusive Marc Jacobs ‘90s grunge, capsule collection in the Mall de Voyages throughout the Village, alongside complimentary monogramming and 1995 personalisation from AllSaints and Coach. The return of the scent garden sees iconic ‘90s fragrance brands, such as Creed, Issey Miyake, Jo Malone London and Penhaligon’s spotlighting their best scents from the era, with MAC in The Cosmetics Company bringing back iconic ‘90s lip product shades for the limited period.

FIVE KEYS TO THE VILLAGE

All new members who register and scan their unique membership code in May will be entered to win one of five ‘Keys to the Village’. Keyholders will have 12 months’ access to The Apartment, the Village’s invitation-only space, as well as 30% off dining, Hands-free Shopping and Reserved Parking or return train tickets from London to Marylebone.

 

PART TWO: NOW: DESTINATION BICESTER VILLAGE

Stay tuned for Part Two, where we will continue to celebrate the Village’s exciting milestone, to be announced in June.

 

ENDS

‘The Original Then, The Original Now’ campaign will run from 1 May until 1 July 2025.

For more information, please contact the Bicester Village PR team: [email protected]