[Analysis] Has the European outlet market peaked?

Europe currently has 195 outlet centers, which together account for nearly 3.24 million square meters of retail space. But now growth has stalled: hardly any new space is being added. Dozens of projects have even disappeared from the radar in recent years. Is the era of outlet centers over?

The pipeline is running dry

The years when developers were constantly announcing new outlet projects seem to be over. Since early 2025, only one entirely new center has opened in Europe: Designer Outlet Kraków. That Polish project launched in May 2025 with approximately 12,000 square meters of leasable space. But otherwise, things remain quiet: across Europe, there are now only about twenty more or less concrete plans in the pipeline, whereas in 2016 there were still 62.