Essex resident and reporter Jodie Bradley has always been loyal to one shopping centre, Lakeside — but she was blown away by another shopping centre she had never considered before
Essex resident and reporter Jodie Bradley has always been loyal to one shopping centre: Lakeside. She said: “It’s got pretty much every shop you could ever need, plenty of places to eat and drink and fun things to do, too, like the cinema and Puttshack [mini golf]. When a family friend suggested that I should head to Braintree Village to do a spot of shopping, I was a bit unsure. Despite living in Essex pretty much my whole life, I’d never been!”
Although Braintree Village was located further from her home, Jodie couldn’t resist the temptation of potential bargains. She said: “The first thing I noticed was the huge amount of parking available. There were a good few car parks, and they’re all free for six hours, making that an immediate win. Once I walked into the centre, the first thing I said was, ‘Oh, my God – it’s like Bicester Village!'”
The open-air retail destination is magnificently decorated with fairy lights connecting various buildings, with each store boasting its own distinctive character — a stark contrast to the sameness typically found in traditional shopping centres.
Jodie was delightfully shocked by the range of retailers available. Whilst there’s frequently a misunderstanding that outlet venues exclusively serve luxury brands, this certainly wasn’t true at Braintree.
She explained: “Of course, you have your Coach, Ralph Lauren, Belstaff and more. But there’s also a Hollister, Clarks, Nike, Lindt, Haribo, Holland and Barratt and so much more!
“I love Hollister, and I believe Braintree Village has the only physical store in Essex — and there were pairs of jeans for as little as £16, when they sometimes sell for over £50.”
Jodie added: “The Body Shop was having a big sale, too, and you could buy body washes or cleansers for as little as £5! I will definitely be heading back here to do some Christmas shopping.”
There were plenty of food options too: Pret, Brick Lane Bagel Co and the Real Greek were just some of the options.
“In summary, Braintree Village is definitely smaller than Bicester Village,” said Jodie.
“But there’s still so much to do and enough to keep you occupied all day! So, if you’re looking to spend some time getting some bargains from top stores and eating yummy food closer to home, I would definitely recommend!”