Yet Another Reason to Love Bicester

An all you need to know guide about the luxury shopping experience at Bicester Village

For those who don’t know, Bicester village is a luxury outlet shopping village on the outskirts of London. Known for their collection of some of the best and most expensive brands globally, since its start in 2017, Bicester has gained a Disney-esque reputation to it. For shoppers, Bicester is a paradise. For bargain hunters, it is a bucket list item. For the curious, it is a theatrical show. Watching buses, trains and cars filled with people lugging their suitcases around beautiful English cottages with just one thing on their mind - excess.

Entry of the Village from the Railway Station (Source : Author)

Charming English Cottages house stores for shopping (Source : Author)

Sophie Kinsella’s book jackets famously depict the girl that hides inside all of us - a carefree well dressed figure with hair flying in the air and hands filled with lots and lots of shopping bags. But cut to us living our Shopaholic Dream World at UK’s Bicester Village, the smart ones out of us are lugging heavy suitcases around, packing and unpacking them to make space for new carry bags after every shop and the relatively new visitors to the Village are fighting over who gets to hold how many bags, all the while wondering if they’ve forgotten one (or a few) someplace.

I had been the former one for quite a few years until last year when the Taj Hotel at London collaborated with Bicester to offer a luxury shopping package to its resident guests. While I got to avail the service through them, this is a service that can be paid and booked by anyone off of the Bicester Village website so keep reading to know more about its inclusions.

From heavy shopping bags, long queues, difficult partners, hunger pangs, to trial room woes - The Apartment at Bicester takes care of all the grinches that tried to dull our shopping spirit - and with what style!

The Apartment is a beautiful cottage situated right at the start of Bicester Village. In concept like a members only club or a fraternity house, this is a 2 storey lounge designed with a reception, trial rooms, and lounge seatings. Once enrolled in the program, you’d be called a Bicester VIP.

For those getting to Bicester by a park, the Apartment is right at the start of the parking area, next to Ralph Lauren. Guests of the Apartment can park in specially reserved slots available just to members. I travelled by train from London. Right at the train station, I was met with an escort who whisked me in a golf cart straight to the Apartment. Upon entering, I was checked in. While the process of entering took me 5 minutes as the friendly lady at the desk ticked off my name on her list and took me upstairs to the seating area, the actual check in took about 15 minutes. However, this time did not seem like a pain at all as while we waiter, we were served complimentary drinks and snacks. I ordered for warm almond croissants while someone with me ordered hot cinnamon buns. Alongside this, we ordered for fresh juices, a cappuccino, a gingerale and were happily served all kinds of beverages within minutes.

The check in process takes time as we are given a unique generated bar code. This bar code we get to use at all stores to avail an additional 10% discount. While it sounds exciting, I might add that this discount is only valid at few stores, not at all of them. And cannot be clubbed with other offers such as a student discount. The next use of the bar code is my favourite reason to sign up for the Apartment program - hands free shopping. Stick with me as I try to simplify this slightly complicated perk.

At every store I shopped, I presented my bar code. Upon scanning this code, the shop managers took out a plastic bag and sealed the contents of my shopping haul within it. And I walked out the store. About 30 minutes before my train, I called the Apartment to get all my shopping sent to the railway station. When I reached the station and presented my bar code to the help desk, they pulled out all the sealed packets from all the shops I shopped at. I collected them all, put them in my suitcase and boarded my train back to London.

Bar Code and Instructions Received upon Check In (Source : Author)

This was my first experience with this program and I hadn’t read much about it online so I meticulously made a note of every shop I visited so I could count, check and ensure all my bags had been received at the airport since this could have been an easy mistake but to my surprise, not a single piece was missing. I was amazed. For this particular perk, I’m sure I’d sign up for the program every single time I visit Bicester.

Let me now return to finer details for those of you who are perhaps still not convinced.

The Apartment is beautifully furnished and consists of multiple seating clusters ensuring you always have a private space to yourself. The interiors are warm, plush and welcoming. All members get unlimited entry during the day which was a great option for people like my brother who chose to spend the day here watching cricket. You get great service with clean and spacious washrooms. There’s always a lot of staff around bringing you small snacks (small bakery items) and of course an endless supply of drinks.

Warm and Welcoming Seating Clusters at Bicester (1) (Source : Author)

Warm and Welcoming Seating Clusters at Bicester (2) (Source : Author)

An option that some might prefer, but I did not find convenient so did not try were the trial rooms. Apartment has its own trial rooms. You can inform the places you shop at to send you your shortlisted pieces at the Apartment incase there is queue at the store or you just want more privacy and time to decided. The stores send you your picked pieces. You can try them at the Apartment. There are a few comfortable trial rooms on the ground floor with a small waiting area for your companions. You can then get the things you don’t want returned, and you can return to the store you do want to get some items billed at.

Waiting Area outside the trial rooms (Source : Author)

Often Boutique stores such as Dior and Gucci have long queues outside to get in. The Apartment does help you get priority access, however, these are many times restricted to 2 uses only. Regardless, a useful addition as every saved minute at Bicester in another dent on the card, I mean, is another new dress.

While I got to experience this program with my stay (one of the many many perks of staying at Taj London), the VIP Apartment service is available with many other tours and hotels as well so you’d be wise to check for this in advance if you’re headed to London just to shop. Incase you don’t find it as a complimentary offering, it can be availed by prior booking through the website. They offer different packages at different costs. If you’re planning to travel in a big group, I’d say the cost might not suit you. But for a small family or a couple or few friends, this is a great great luxury to make your shopping day what is should be about - all play, and no work.

Relaxed Shopaholic (Person : Author) (Source : Author)