Affinity Outlet Lancashire

Affinity Outlet Lancashire is a picturesque place to shop. The boutique style shops all nestle on one level around a beautiful marina, making it a great antidote to stuffy shopping centres - and there’s a lovely outdoor play area so the kids can let off a bit of steam, too.

Open every day except Christmas Day, the centre is generally open from 10am until 6pm, except on Sundays when opening hours are 11am until 5pm and on Thursdays when there’s late night shopping until 8pm. The address is Anchorage Road, Fleetwood FY7 6AE and the telephone number is 01253 773425.

Facilities
With a nautical-themed children’s play area on site, every member of the family is welcome at Affinity Outlet Lancashire - including the dog! Well-behaved pooches are allowed, and some stores even let you take your furry friend in to shop with you. Hate shopping? Just find a table to enjoy all the free Wi-Fi, available throughout.

Layout
Affinity Outlet Lancashire is a retail outlet village - a shopping concept that started in the US, where mall-style shops are built around a mock street, village square or, in this case, a quay-side. There are 45 stores in all, and the  largest is the M&S outlet which you’ll find by the children’s play area.

Accessibility
The centre is particularly well-designed for wheelchair users. There’s level access throughout and wheelchairs can be hired for free at the management office. The huge car park has plenty of designated spaces, the toilets are wide and spacious and there’s also accessible picnic benches.

Shopping
While there are some real bargains to be had here, don’t go expecting to find something specific you may have seen at another branch of one of the retailers on offer. The items you’ll find at Affinity Outlet Lancashire are heavily discounted because they’re end-of-line, out-of-season, returned products or specific outlet stock.

Fashion and beauty
The big hitters for fashion-loving bargain-hunters are the M&S, Next and Gap outlets. But there’s also Bench, Cotton Traders, Jeff Banks and Klass to rummage in. For beauty bits and pieces, there’s a Body Shop and also the Beauty Outlet which stocks high street brands like Elizabeth Arden and Max Factor.

Gifts and lifestyle
Searching for the perfect gift to take home with you? Affinity Outlet Lancashire has you covered. Both Thorntons and Cadbury have outlets here, as do The Fragrance Shop and The Gift Company. If you’re a sucker for kitchen gadgets, the ProCook shop has must-have gizmos plus gorgeous kitchenware.

Eating and drinking
Trawling through racks of clothes in the hunt for the perfect bargain can really work up an appetite. Luckily, Affinity Lancashire has plenty of tasty places to stop for a bite to eat while you enjoy the view and rest your weary legs.

The Bay Tearooms has outdoor tables and does light lunches and snacks, or there’s a Subway, Costa and McDonald’s on site too. Whatever takes your fancy, you can take your food and coffee away and sit on picnic benches outside if the weather’s nice - they’re the perfect spot for some boat-watching.

If you venture out of the retail village, one of the top rated places to eat in Fleetwood is the Granada Fish Bar for tasty fish and chips in a restaurant setting. Pub-wise, the The Three Lights on Herring Road is the nearest. Nicely decorated, it has a carvery as well as a play area for the kids.

Top tip
Although you can easily drive to Affinity Lancashire in just 20 minutes, why not go the scenic route by taking the tram there? With a picturesque route along the coast, you’ll get there in 50 minutes, and there’s a stop a five-minute walk from the shopping village.

Getting to Affinity Outlet Lancashire
Affinity Outlet Lancashire is a cinch to get to from Blackpool, whether you take the car, bus, train or tram. Here’s all the information you need to make your journey a breeze.

By car
It takes about 20 minutes on the A585 from Blackpool. When you get to the retail outlet there’s plenty of free parking, with space for 700 cars.

By bus
You can hop on either the number 1 or the number 22 bus, both of which run from central Blackpool and will drop you off right at the door of the retail village.

By train or tram
You can get a train from Blackpool North to Poulton-le-Fylde, but it’s seven miles away from Affinity Lancashire. It’s better to get a tram which stops just five minutes away.