Zara is to open its first out-of-town store in the UK. It has reserved an 18,000 sq ft (1,670 sq m) unit at the Glasgow Fort shopping park at Easterhouse in Glasgow, which is expected to open in December.

If Zara trades successfully from the fashion park, it could open up a range of opportunities for the retailer, which has recently stepped up its UK acquisitions programme.

Zara UK managing director Mike Shearwood said: 'We are very excited about the venture at Glasgow Fort. The location is ideal for us because we can bring the Zara brand closer to shoppers throughout the central belt.'

The 380,000 sq ft (35,300 sq m) Glasgow Fort is being developed by Pillar Property and Capital & Regional, and has been pre-sold to the Hercules Property Unit Trust.

The scheme has attracted a strong fashion line-up, including Next, River Island, Principles, Oasis, Jane Norman, Faith, Top Shop, Dorothy Perkins, Miss Selfridge and TK Maxx.

Mark Stirling, director of Pillar Property, Hercules' property adviser, said: 'The fact Zara has chosen the Fort for its first out-of-town park location in the UK underlines the confidence in Glasgow Fort's potential as a retail destination.

'It will be one of the biggest attractions in the central belt, with its dedicated motorway access and more than 1.9 million consumers within a 30-minute drive time.'

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