A designer shopping destination where everyone is welcome – even our four-legged friends!

As a millennial thirty-something couple with four precious fur babies, our mantra is “if my dog can’t come, I’m not going” . We’ve missed out on countless dinners, trips and adventures with family and friends, because we want to be with my beloved pooches and hate the thought of leaving them alone.

That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to discover the McArthurGlen Designer Outlet in Ashford. Not only is it less than half an hour from our home in Kent, but they’re dog friendly!!!

Now I know all too well that some destinations claim to be dog friendly, when in fact they simply tolerate dogs. However, Ashford Designer Outlet is a real breath of fresh air and actively welcomes your pooches and encourages them to be part of your day out!

Retail therapy and pooches are quite literally my two favourite things, so we decided to bring Puggy and Pops along to show you why we adore this place so much!

Firstly, it’s so easy to get to. Whether you’re travelling by train or car, everything is very simple and accessible. There’s so much parking and an overflow in case you hit a busy spot, but we found plenty of parking during a busy shopping day in December. Parking was £2 for every 4 hours, and free after 5pm! The car park is very close to all the stores and restaurants and you can pay contactless on the gates when you leave. There are also ample charging points for electric car owners too!

The Ashford Designer Outlet is conveniently located close to Ashford International train station and it’s less than a 5-minute walk away! We also discovered that the Outlet is 30 minutes away from the port of Dover and just 38 minutes from London via the high-speed link train from London St. Pancras. Perfect for those London pooches who love luxury retail therapy and are looking for a fun, dog-friendly day out!

The Ashford Designer Outlet is perfectly laid out in a loop, jam-packed with things to see and do. There’s plenty of toilets dotted all over, coffee shops, snack stops, shops a plenty, very tempting restaurants and coffee shops. If you have small humans, there’s also a large children’s play area too, so they can also make some friends and burn off some steam!

With heaps of waste bins and water available all around, bringing a dog has never been easier. The centre is completely outdoors but cleverly sheltered just in case the weather isn’t on your side, and with stunning lights and festive music playing, it wasn’t long before we were all in the Christmas spirit, excited to find some gorgeous gifts for our loved ones (and maybe ourselves).

The centre has over 100 leading designer brands at up to 60% less all year round, with special discounts and offers during shopping events, you will discover the likes of Polo Ralph Lauren, Carhartt, Kate Spade, Armani, Hugo Boss, Nike, Reiss, UGG, Joules, Gant and many more! The shopping is so varied, whether you’re looking for clothing, bags, footwear, homeware, beauty, there really is something for everyone!

We spent a whole day and evening here with the pooches and took full advantage of the late-night shopping. We really enjoyed the energy and feel of the place, its immaculately well-kept and all the staff are so helpful and friendly. The centre is bustling with people visiting from far and wide, but the size and layout meant it never felt overwhelming or too busy. Perfect if you have older pooches like little Pops who can get a little anxious at times.

The vast majority of stores are dog friendly, and it’s easy to spot with a paw print clearly in the windows. It was such a lovely experience to be able to shop freely knowing our dogs are welcomed and made a huge fuss of!

Some of our favourite Dog-Friendly stores at the centre were Carhartt, The Designer Exchange, Ugg, Dr Martens, French Connection, Kate Spade, Molton Brown, Yankee Candle, Levis, Sunglass Hut, Body Shop, The Cosmetics Company and Happy Socks to name a few. A full list of all dogs friendly stores can be found by clicking here.

We shopped till we dropped, and luckily the car was parked so close by that we could do multiple bag drops, so we could carry on discovering more! We made full use of the doggy water fountain to keep the pooches hydrated and happy, and we popped into Guest Services to grab a complimentary doggy biscuit too! Our car boot was jam packed with great quality menswear from Carhartt, a dachshund bag from Kate Spade, loads of make-up and perfume from The Cosmetics Company and a very special something from The Designer Exchange! We stocked up on cards and gift wrap and got every Christmas gift we needed for family and friends!

No shopping day is complete without a coffee stop of two, so we just had to swing by Starbucks for a caffeine hit, and of course a Puppachino for the doggies. Dogs are welcome inside and out in Starbucks, but we decided to sit in the heated outdoor area to enjoy the atmosphere, do some people and dog watching and soak up all the good vibes!

There are so many options for breakfast, brunch lunch or dinner. We absolutely loved our experience in Five Guys, although dogs aren’t allowed in the main restaurant, they are welcome in the outdoor dining space and the staff were so wonderful they even brought Puggy out some fresh water and his very own beef patty, without any herbs or spices! Puggy thought all his Christmases came early, and we will be back here again very soon!

Pizza Express was also a wonderful dining experience, and we were welcomed into the covered, heated outdoor dining section with the dogs. We settled down to eat delicious pizza and pasta with the pooches and our waiter was so fond of pops, he grabbed her some fresh water and her very own bowl of chicken! It’s safe to say we all left feeling very full up and content!

After such a huge feast, we were hunted down another coffee shop called Oliphant and Pomeroy. The expresso was divine, and we couldn’t resist some gorgeous cakes to take home with us!

If like us, you take heaps of photos and run your phone battery down to a minimum, then Ashford Outlet has free phone charging points and guest services couldn’t be happier to help with anything you may need. Whether it’s calling a taxi, first aid or tourist information, they will ensure you are very well looked after and ready to make the most of your time here.


We cannot recommend The Ashford Outlet Centre enough and can guarantee you will have the best time and find some awesome treasures at discounted prices. For a fashionable day out with all the family – including the fur babies, there really is no place we would rather be!


To find out more click here.