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Where is the best outlet mall?

Discussion in 'Las Vegas for the Frugal (not Cheap)' started by CDx24, Dec 5, 2013.

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  1. CDx24

    CDx24 Tourist

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    While over from the UK at the end of December I am looking to do some shopping and wondering where the best outlet mall is? We are staying in the Tropicana and won't be renting a car so also looking for somewhere accessible with public transport or you can book onto a 'tour' to.
     
  2. Guy

    Guy Captain of the Heads

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    Both (north and south) Premium Outlets are accessible via bus from the strip. The southern one is closer to the Trop and would be a cheapish ($15?) cab ride each way if you didn't want to lug your purchases on the bus.

    Check their website for the list of stores, but there seems to be a lot of overlap.
     
  3. chitownjohn

    chitownjohn High-Roller

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    Premium Outlets South is the closest option and it's accessible by bus.

    It will drop-off and pick-up at the North end of the center near Burlington Brands and Nike.
    Strip & Downtown Express
    From the Strip, pick-up from the following Southbound stops:
    Fremont Street (across from Golden Nugget), Stratosphere , Bonneville Transit Center, Arts District, Stratosphere, Sahara, Convention Center, Fashion Show, Bellagio, Excalibur, Mandalay Bay.

    http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/directions.asp?id=61
     
  4. bigsuv

    bigsuv Low-Roller

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    premium outlets north is the best by far.
     
  5. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

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    North is the best.

    North is a town center (each store accessible from outside) compared to South which is actually a mall (indoors).

    Both are accessible by bus.

    For North Outlet

    -use the SDX at MGM Grand
    -OR the Deuce at Tropicana and transfer to the SDX at MGM, Paris, Wynn, Charleston, or the BTC.
    -OR the Deuce at Tropicana and transfer to the CX at the BTC
    -OR
    the WAX at Tropicana. The very next stop is Premium Outlets North.
    Get back the same way.

    For South

    -use the SDX at Excalibur

    The SDX again to get back but only stops at Mandalay Bay and MGM Grand.

    I'd go to the north tbh. It's better and you can leave right from the front of Trop and get back right across the street.
     
    Last edited: Dec 15, 2013
  6. gguerra

    gguerra High-Roller

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    On a related side note. You will not necessarily find good prices at either outlet mall. I find that most of their prices are about the same as a regular mall and the same goes for any outlet mall (not necessarily in Las Vegas). The exception to this is if you find sales going on. As an example I went to a Levi's store to buy some jeans in September at an outlet mall in San Marcos Texas. I ended up paying $45 plus tax for the jeans.. They are of good quality but there was not a discount to be found anywhere in the store and if there was it was for things nobody wanted to buy. I went to the north outlet mall in Vegas back in June and the situation was about the same. A few discounts here and there but overall just what you would call retail pricing which can be found at any mall including the fashion show mall in Vegas. Just a heads up and my .02 cents.
     
  7. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    Unlike others, I prefer the south outlet mall (the old belz outlet) over the north outlet mall. IMHO to me the north mall is similar to many outlet malls in america, with many of the same stores that you see in orlando and other locales. The north mall is open air, making it hot during the summer and cold during the winter (plus when it rains it is a pain to go from store to store). The south mall is fully enclosed except for some outside stores so you don't have to worry about the weather or temps.

    The south mall to me has a mix of the standard stores and other stores. I also like the disney outlet store because they sell "joke" t-shirts at decent prices (sometimes even $2). I picked up a number of t-shirts there, bank of dad, US MALE, etc.

    When I visit vegas I always hit the south outlet mall. Not so much the north mall, earlier this year they had a parking problem (the south parking structure was being renovated so parking was a hassle). The north mall isn't on my "vegas places to hit" list while the south mall is.

    As others mentioned, the south mall is closer to the trop and you don't have to fight the traffic as much as if you took the bus to the north outlet mall.

    Others may feel differently but I usually can hit the same stores at the North mall as in other cities.
     
  8. irmster

    irmster Low-Roller

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    my mother prefers the Outlets at Primm over the other ones.

    There is a shuttle if you don't have a car.
     
  9. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    I find that the North & South have almost the same stores, but the stores that differ which I want to visit are at the North mall:peace: (specifically, I love David Yurman, St. John and LeSportsac)

    Since they're both the same brand (Premium outlets) the prices for the stores are likely the be the same, and the inventory is likely to be similar if not the same, just look at each website and see what stores you want to visit. If you try something on and they don't have it in the right size, if there is a store at the other outlet center, they can call for you and see if the other store has it in stock. You can also sign up online for email sale notifications and to see what sales might be going on while you're visiting.

    However, it is ALSO true that sales at regular price malls could get you good prices as well - depending on what you're shopping for, do check out Fashion Show Mall (again, you can look at a list of stores on the website, and check out to see who might be having sales while you're in town)

    There are also discount stores around town (some on the Strip) that might have things you're interested in, but other than the Ross Dress for Less (lower quality stuff in general) none are easy to access without a rental car.
     
  10. HoyaHeel

    HoyaHeel Grammar Police & Admin

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    We went to Primm a few years ago and while I enjoyed the William Sonoma outlet, I don't feel a need to go there again:peace:
     
  11. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    I find the same thing but I like the stores at the south mall better. When I go to the north mall I am usually out of there in less than an hour, I usually just walk past the standard stores which leaves only a handful of stores to visit. I also like the food courts in the South mall much better, plus there are a number of eateries and stores in the strip mall fronting vegas blvd in front of the south mall. I think there is a 5 guys there also.

    Hate to say it but because of the turnover at the South mall there are a number of store openings and closings and so many drop their prices too. I usually stay downtown but I still skip the north mall and go to the south mall instead. But that's just me.




    One other thing to note: both malls have a "seniors" special, 5% off on tuesdays. I don't think that the regular malls have a senior special (although ross does). For me, the good thing is that the seniors are 50 and over so I qualify for it already, lol. Note that this special isn't at every store and there could be some rules for usage (not on sale items, etc.) so check with the store so you won't be surprised if you don't get the discount.
     
  12. ken2v

    ken2v This Space For Rent

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    About the only facts in evidence here are the bits about pricing, the tips on deals and the like, and the various ways to reach each outlet, beyond that it's all just so much personal preference and speculation.

    The "best" outlet is the one that offers the types of shops the individual shopper favors, and that can be ascertained by looking at the rosters of each.
     
  13. Auggie

    Auggie Dovahkiin

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    From Tropicana just because its so quick and easy to get to I would suggest the southern outlet mall: cross the street to Excalibur and catch either bus and you will be there in a couple of minutes (they drop you off at the edge of the parking lot).

    Other than that, there isn't much difference in the choice of stores between the two outlets so if there are particular stores you are searching for you might want to check the directory for each mall to see what they offer.

    Totally agree!

    Even when it isn't there most people see a special price or big discount when they expect to see a special price or big discount. The prices at the outlet mall are pretty much comparable to the same discounts and sale prices you would see at a regular mall.

    One of the big exceptions is with some of the really big brand name designers and thats because they are effectively selling knock-offs of their own merchandise.
    An example of this would be: you might go to a big name handbag stores at your local mall and see a purse for $200 and then at the outlet mall you see the same purse for $125.. except at the outlet mall the purse isn't hand made (mass produced by machine instead), made from a lesser quality material at a different factory, maybe even in a different country, and will have a marking denoting it as an outlet item.
     
  14. vegas_or_bust

    vegas_or_bust High-Roller

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    FWIW, we went to the South outlet two weeks ago. It was our first experience at the "Las Vegas Outlet Malls". My wife and I were very unimpressed. From our perspective, the South location is simply another mall (and a grungy one at that). There were very few items that were priced at "outlet" prices, and the store selection was not what we expected. To make matters worse, there isn't a single restaurant in the entire radius that you can sit down and have lunch and a drink. After a hour or two, I just wanted to find a bar/restaurant and have some drinks and watch the games until my wife was ready, but there was nothing to be found.

    I have been to Vegas about 20 times by now, this was probably the worst 4 hours I have ever spent there. This is just my opinion, and I realize I may be in the minority, as many people rave about the outlets. However, we we will never go back. :peace:
     
  15. Jerseyguy

    Jerseyguy MIA

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    I'm with you Auggie

    I live within an hours drive of 4 big outlet malls,People I know who wear expensive lines of clothing tell me basically the same thing ,it's not the same quality clothing.
     
  16. CDx24

    CDx24 Tourist

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    Thanks for the info guys. I find the same with outlet stores here in Scotland but was hoping there would be some good offers in Vegas. I think we will go to the south purely since it's closer and then if we are disappointed we won't have wasted too much time traveling.

    Given Vegas is busy all year do the stores on the strip have big boxing day/January sales?
     
  17. Busyman

    Busyman VIP Whale

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    We don't have Boxing Day in America. As far as January, there is no nationally recognized sale days comparable to Black Friday, Boxing Day, Cyber Monday, or Super Saturday.

    You have New Years and MLK sales tho'.
     
  18. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    actually there are a number of eateries outside of the South outlet mall, along las vegas boulevard. I think they have an outback, 5 guys and other eateries. Inside the mall there are only fast food places.

    If you aren't a shopper then you probably won't like the place. I don't think anyone raves about the mall because they can hang around while the wife shops for 4 hours. But then many malls don't have many bar/eateries, the north mall I don't think has a bar/restaurant either. I don't think some of the other lv malls are that great either, the boulevard mall is a shell since they lost some of their flagship tenants.

    To each his/her own, some people like the outlet malls while others don't. So where does your wife go to shop in vegas? Some people avoid the fashion show mall and the forum shops (too expensive, not many good sales, etc.), while others like those malls. All personal preference I guess, for me (a guy) I avoid the high end stores and so avoid the "high end" malls. I like the galleria mall because they have a Kohls and other stores and is nice there (they have some eateries there also, Chevy's and Red Robin, not sure if there is a bar in there though) but it is kind of out of the way (in Henderson).
     
  19. vegas_or_bust

    vegas_or_bust High-Roller

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    Maybe my expectations were way off. When my wife is in serious shopping mode and I tag along I typically shop for a few hours and then head to the nearest restaurant and sit at the bar watching sports until she is done. I figured in Vegas (of all places) there would be a bar/restaurant on the grounds, but I was wrong.

    I think our expectations were probably way off. The south outlet in Vegas reminded me of an outlet mall in Iowa. I personally wouldn't want to spend any precious vacation time there in the future. However, I understand that I may be in the minority based on the amount of interest that the outlets generate on this board (and in general). Different strokes for different folks.

    I didn't see the Outback, and it wasn't listed on the directory, otherwise that would have been perfect.
     
  20. makikiboy

    makikiboy VIP Whale

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    Actually you're not very far off. I visited these premium outlet malls in Orlando, Gilroy and in Hawaii and while the Hawaii outlet mall doesn't have the selection of stores that Las Vegas, Gilroy and Orlando have they are still very similar.

    If you visited these malls in other states they probably all look the same IMHO. I do find some bargains or different selection of stuff so I do go visit the place. Like I said in another post, I visit the disney store because of the funny (and cheap) t shirts they sell.

    I checked the mall directory and they don't list the restaurants that are located along las vegas blvd. Not sure why, guess they aren't part of the mall?

    I used google maps and right on Las Vegas blvd in front of the mall I found:

    Chipotle Mexican Grill
    Outback Steak House
    Weinersnitchel (sorry if I spelled it wrong)
    Quiznos
    La Cosina Mexican food
    Dunkin Donuts
    Dickey's Barbeque Pit
    Buffalo Wild Wings Grill and Bar
    Panda Express
    IHOP
    Chili's
    Raising Canes
    NY Pizza
    Subway
    Tropical Smothie Cafe

    this doesn't include the restaurants behind lvb if there are any. hmmm, I thought there was a 5 guys burger but doesn't look like it.



    Like you said, different strokes for different folks. I'm not married but when I have friends (female) who shop I just drop them off and have them call me when they are almost finished so I can pick them up and probably go for lunch or dinner (more like dinner since they are shopaholics, lol). I'm not the type to follow someone all over or wait for 4 hours until they finish shopping (one of the benefits of being single, ha ha).
     
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