ROS Retail Outlet Shopping raises breast cancer awareness with Pink October campaign
Charity event held at La Torre Outlet Zaragoza together with Estética Lostao and Natura Bissé
24th October 2022 – Designer Outlet Algarve, La Torre Outlet Zaragoza, Designer Outlet Warszawa, Designer Outlet Gdansk and Designer Outlet Sosnowiec join the Pink October campaign for breast cancer awareness.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual campaign that helps to increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment of breast cancer. The disease is the most common type of cancer in women worldwide, while between 0.5% and 1% of breast cancer cases also occur in men, according to the World Health Organization.
On this occasion, several locations across the European portfolio of the outlet operator ROS Retail Outlet Shopping have launched the so-called ‘Pink October’ initiative. The actions carried out at Designer Outlet Algarve, La Torre Outlet Zaragoza, Designer Outlet Warszawa, Designer Outlet Gdansk and Designer Outlet Sosnowiec aim to bring people together in an effort to raise awareness of breast cancer.
This initiative has the support of the Portuguese League against Cancer, the Spanish Association against Cancer in Zaragoza and the Polish foundation Spa for Cancer, for which fundraising has been promoted.
Designer Outlet Algarve was the pioneer in the ROS Retail Outlet Shopping portfolio to run this campaign a couple of years ago with great reception from the Portuguese community. This year, the highlight was the performance of a solidarity human ribbon throughout the centre with the participation of visitors and customers on Sunday, 23 October.
"Every year, our team mobilises around this cause. We know that the battle against breast cancer is permanent, whether in prevention or in support for those going through this very delicate moment. Therefore, actively participating in the Pink October cause is a commitment made by the Designer Outlet Algarve since its opening," said Miguel Paraíso Guerreiro, Center Manager at Designer Outlet Algarve.
As part of its Pink October action plan, La Torre Outlet Zaragoza organised a charity event on 17 October together with Estética Lostao and Natura Bissé to highlight the importance of feeling beautiful in the fight against cancer, which has been proven to make patients feel better about themselves, increasing testosterone levels and balancing their wellbeing, motivation and recovery. The event featured 12 businesswomen and 12 influencers who, in addition to receiving a masterclass on beauty, their attendance resulted in a direct donation to the Ricardo Fisas Foundation for people undergoing surgery or treatment as well as for the training of beauticians in oncological aesthetics.
The Polish centres Designer Outlet Warszawa, Designer Outlet Gdańsk and Designer Outlet Sosnowiec spread awareness with flyers and digital information displays during October. Particularly novel and successful was the organization of free mammograms on 22 October in mobile ‘mammobuses’ located in the parking of the centres for the public. Despite the bad weather, there were long queues of people waiting for their turn to be screened.
Women waiting in line for their mammograms at Designer Outlet Sosnowiec.
The initiative is in line with ROS Retail Outlet Shopping’s commitment to social responsibility as part of its ESG policy, which also focuses on sustainability. Earlier this year, the operator developed the #bettershopping campaign in all of its 12 outlet centres in Europe with the aim of raising awareness among its visitors about the impact of the retail industry on the environment and how to contribute to improve the ecological footprint. Among the activities carried out was the setting up of a container to give a second life to used clothing, footwear and accessories.