Today is a big day for curious shoppers in Winnipeg (like me) as the city welcomes the 400,000 square foot Outlet Collection that boasts of a hundred outlet stores.
Located across Ikea at Kenaston and Sterling Lyon Parkway, traffic was slow in the area and parking was almost full on the first day. Me and my friend ate Verlie, were two of the hundreds of shoppers who came to get a sneak peak of the new mall.
We came by noon time. Crowd and line ups were tolerable.
Stores are located indoor under one roof so no problem when big winter comes or when it’s too hot outside.
“It is so refreshing to the eyes!”, ate Verlie gushed. Everything in the building is new.
We rushed with so much excitement to make the most of our limited time. We only stopped at the outlets that do not have same store in Winnipeg. Not all the 100 stores are open and operating. I saw a big Winners outlet that is still closed.
I lose count of how many stores we saw around. We particularly visited Saks OFF 5TH, DSW, Designer Shoe Warehouse, Calvin Klein, Guess, Nike, Under Armor, Lululemon and Lole.
One of the big savings we saw was probably at the Nine West store. It was flooded with mostly ladies looking for deals on purse and shoes. It was half the price for everything in the store.
Ate Verlie got a nice shoes for one third of the original price.
This cute sweet pink body bag which costs $39 to $59 elsewhere is sold for half of its original price.
Maybe because we were particularly interested on sports and athletic apparels, ate Verlie and I noticed a wide selection of sports apparel–shirts, sports bra, leggings in almost all clothing stores.
“Sports and active wear is the trend outfit for everyday wear because of its comfort”, explains the fashionista Ate Verlie. Haha. I love how quickly we moved from stores to stores because we were already sure what we particularly like.
At Lululemon, there is a $29 top with bra. At Lole, you can get a buy one get one free deal on sports bras.
There is a $14 shirt for boys and girls and a $25 shirt from Calvin Klein; $10 girl shirt from Old Navy; $15 dollar printed leggings for women.
On Nike’s Outlet which is one of the most popular, one of my friends got a Nike Air Jordan shoes for boys that normally costs $400 in regular stores for half price at the Nike outlet.
I browsed at the women’s clearance section, a regular work out/running shoes is $70 to 90 while the simplest new arrival shoe falls at around $120. Not really sure if it’s a big deal. I got a Nike shoes for $60 at Winners before.
Eating and filling up a hungy tummy is not a concern because of a big food court with some new food stalls like bigsmokeburger, bar burritos, Shanghai 360 and Sushi shop. Patiece in lining up if you come in a rush and busy hour–like today.
Friends asked me if if I find the outlet’s prices fairly cheap or if find it worth-waiting for –my answer will be —depending on what you are looking for.
My tips–first of all, don’t rush if it’s not an urgent need. Most clothing stores we visited do not have clearance section. And if they do, they are not really great deals I believe. I will watch out and stand by for additional mark downs after the hype is gone.
Be a smart buyer. Buy only the things you need to avoid being a victim of compulsive buying. If items are marked “final sale”, you will not be able to return them if you change your mind. You should also know the price of the item you are buying as compared to the same item in regular stores.
And finally, go along a shopping buddy who shares the same shopping nerves as you. Someone who is practical and smart, fun and most of all—quick!
Thank you Ate Verlie for the fun time! Ulitin natin ‘to. haha
