CHRISTMAS has come early for Woolton couple Sarah and Nick Bolton, in the shape of a £1m contract from malls operator McArthurGlen.

Their Christmas Decorators venture is a leading provider of bespoke interior and exterior festive decorations for clients ranging from Premiership footballers to 5-star London hotels and luxury retail centres.

And the firm, which is also developing a portfolio of franchises and UK regional offices, has won a deal with the European retail group to install Christmas decorations at some of its leading outlets, including its flagship Cheshire Oaks development, and at outlets in York, as well as Italy, Austria and Athens, Greece.

Co-founder Mr Bolton said: “We’re thrilled to be working with McArthurGlen Designer Outlets on this project, as it is a brand that is synonymous with class, elegance and style.

“Plans are already well under way among our team to bring that Christmassy magic to each of the designer outlets to help shoppers get into the festive spirit – we can’t wait to reveal the finished results to the British public.”

The business secured the deal through a competitive tender process that involved them dressing one of McArthurGlen’s outlets overnight, to demonstrate their speed and expertise, and filming it for inclusion in their pitch to company executives.

Mr Bolton added: “I think it was the level of dedication that we demonstrated, the quality of our products, which we directly sourced and made especially for McArthurGlen, and the attention to detail we offered with our designs that set us apart.”

Shaeren McKenzie, from McArthurGlen, said: “As the largest designer outlet group in Europe, we welcome nearly 75m visitors each year to our centres.

“Consumers come to us not only because we offer all year-round savings on leading brands, but also because we offer a great day out experience for the whole family.”

She added: “Creating that magical Christmassy feel for our consumers over the Christmas period is a really important aspect of this experience we provide.”