大象传媒

Christine Finn joins shoppers from all over the world who are looking for bargain designer goods at Bicester Village. Once a traditional, low-profile Cotswold retreat, Bicester is now a name familiar to label-hunters all over the EU and Asia - in fact the majority of the customers in its retail outlets come from outside the UK, and so do most of the staff. In a special essay for From Our Own Correspondent, we learn what an armful of brand-name carrier bags can do for your image - and why people flock here for the prestige, as well as the discounts.

(Photo: A Christmas shopper in London, Dec 2014. Credit: Getty Images)