Mall Magic - shopping centres

Travel America, Nov, 2000 by Alice Ross

Shop till you drop at America's destination mega-malls and factory outlet centers

Picture over 22 million annual visitors strolling along marble flooring, beneath skylights, amid trees and plants, past fountains. What comes to mind--some billionaire's fabulous mansion turned museum? Guess again. It's a Pennsylvania mall, the largest mall on the East Coast. The elegance, drama, and attention to detail signify how shopping has been redefined; what once was a mundane chore is now an experience. And whether it's a mega-mall or outlet center, shopping complexes are not simply places to pass time while you're in the neighborhood. They've become major destinations.

It's no wonder they keep getting bigger and better and more innovative. This might come as a surprise to the six or seven people on the planet who never venture inside a store, but the No. 1 activity for domestic travelers is shopping. Described above, The Plaza and The Court at King of Prussia (610-337-1210) attracts visitors from all around the mid-Atlantic region and beyond to browse and buy in their nine world-class department stores --including Bloomingdale's, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, and Macy's --and 365 specialty stores. And that's not our largest mall.

The largest, Mall of America, is also one of the most visited destinations in the United States. Located in Bloomington, Minnesota, the mega-mall claims more annual visitors than Graceland, the Grand Canyon, and Disneyland combined. If your credo is "shop till you drop," prepare to fall. Mall of America (612-883-8826) has more than 520 stores, and those Minnesota winters don't mean a thing in the enclosed shopper's paradise. If you're also in the market for entertainment, you'll find it within the mall's seven-acre amusement park, Camp Snoopy, complete with roller coaster.

Entertainment is a major part of the new trend in retailing, taking diverse directions as sprawling malls crop up all across the country. Washington's Supermall of the Great Northwest (1-800-SAYVALU) often has live concerts and dance performances; Grapevine Mills (972-724-4900), ranking as one of the largest in Texas and the Southwest, features the Polar Ice skating arena with two National Hockey League-size ice surfaces. Grapevine's restaurants include the Rainforest Cafe and Dick Clark's American Bandstand Grill and Restaurant because feeding mall mavens is another important factor; in addition to food courts, many offer finer dining. And various area hotels provide shuttle service to Grapevine Mills, where out-of-towners are considered VIP guests who receive discount coupon cards.

Such customer service is an integral part of the new shopping experience. ATMs, lockers, nursing centers, complimentary wheelchairs, and TDD phones for people with disabilities are just some of the special amenities becoming standard in many malls.

Some are offering vacation/shopping package deals. Aurora Premium Outlets (330-662-2000) in Ohio combines an overnight spa escape or country retreat getaway with a VIP coupon booklet to their outlets. New York's Woodbury Common Premium Outlets (914-928-4000) tempts travelers with "Bed, Breakfast and Shop" packages, which can include bus transportation from Manhattan and luxurious accommodations in a historic stately manor. With 220 stores, Woodbury is the world's largest contiguous outlet center, with such upscale names as Gucci, Versace, Coach, Prada, and others attracting millions to its charming outdoor village setting. Many Japanese visitors to New York make a trip to Woodbury, where they're able to do business in their native language, another customer-friendly service.

Excellent service is certainly an essential ingredient, but perhaps the main reason outlets are so popular is price. Everybody enjoys a bargain, and savvy shoppers scour factory outlets for savings ranging from 20 to 80 percent off retail prices. Outlet shopping originated more than 30 years ago in Reading, Pennsylvania, when local apparel manufacturers began offering employees imperfects and over-runs at bargain prices. When the public began clamoring to be included, goods became more varied and upscale, and an industry was born. The Reading Outlet Center and VF Factory Outlet are two of many in the city (1-800-443-6610), which is known as "Outlet Capital of the World" and was recently named by the American Bus Association as the No. 1 shopping destination in North America. An additional incentive for bargain hunters is that Pennsylvania has no sales tax on clothing.

Sunshine is one reason tourists head south, great shopping another. Bus and group tours bring many visitors to Riviera Centre (1-8005-CENTRE) in Foley, Alabama, where over 115 stores satisfy smart shoppers with everything from scents to sporting goods. Florida's fans have made Fort Lauderdale's Sawgrass Mills one of the state's leading tourist destinations, where they enjoy shopping in more than 300 retail outlets and name-brand discounters. Sawgrass' Oasis jumps day and night, offering fun at GameWorks, flicks in its movie theaters, and dining at restaurants like Hard Rock Cafe.