Multi-million pound expansion plans for West Midlands designer shopping outlet with 500 new jobs - full details here

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The head of the McArthurGlen outlet in Cannock said the site was now looking to undergo an expansion which would grow its number of stores from 75 to 100.

The proposal is to extend the 200,000 sq ft site by around 30 per cent and increase its 1,200-strong workforce by around half by 2027.

Centre manager David Jackson told Insider Media: "This gives us the opportunity to really bring something exciting and new. There'll be an area for street food and a dining destination."

The village opened in 2021 and has seen annual visitor numbers hit four million, with Mr Jackson estimating that figure could reach five million over the next four years. Its roster of mainly fashion stores include household names such as Nike, Ralph Lauren and Under Armour while dining options include Starbucks, Five Guys and Pizza Express.

However, only three per cent of the village's trade comes from people who travel more than 60 minutes to visit there as bosses look to widen its reach as a shopping destination.Tourism chiefs say Staffordshire needs another 1,000 hotel rooms to meet visitor demand.

Mr Jackson added: "If there were more availability of hotel rooms we could probably attract more people from further afield."We'd love to see more hotel rooms. We'd also love more availability of things such as Airbnb.

"Staffordshire generated a record £2.7 billion in tourism revenue in 2024 after attracting 37 million visitors, up by over a third on 2019.

But the area's tourism potential is being held back by a lack of accommodation and poor transport links, said Arthur Barnard, chairman of Staffordshire & Stoke-on-Trent Local Visitor Economy Partnership.