The Junction and The Boulevard shopping outlets sold

Two of Northern Ireland’s major shopping outlet destinations have been bought over for an undisclosed sum, it has been revealed.

The company which owns Sports Direct – the Frasers Group – has bought the two outlets from Lotus Property, the Irish News has reported.

The deal comes a year after Frasers bought Ballymena’s Tower Centre for approximately £8 million.

There has been significant investment in both The Boulevard and The Junction over the last few years, with Hollywood Bowl set to open a 23,000 sq ft 21-lane bowling alley at the Banbridge outlet in the coming months, and Dobbies Garden Centre opening its flagship centre at The Junction in late 2023.

There has been a lot of focus on shopping centres and outlets across Northern Ireland in the last number of years, with a turn in fortunes happening thanks to an increased focus on bringing together a greater mix of hospitality and leisure.

In a statement in the Irish News, Lotus Property’s MD Alastair Coulson said both schemes are “now busy and bustling retail hubs”.

“We have had much interest over the years in terms of buyers but we’ve always been keen to deliver what we set out to do,” he said.

“We’ve done that – and now feels like the right time to hand these assets over to a buyer we know can take them to the next level again.”