Premium Outlets

[Princess7915]

Anyone typically shop at the Premium Outlets for Black Friday? This year Hubby and I are thinking of doing the Williamsburg outlets and I wanted someones take on the shopping there for Black Friday.

 

I often shop at the outlets so I'm familiar with them - just have never done a BF trip there - who else does these?

[tokanm]

This one is in the next town to me www.premiumoutlets.com/wrentham/ is a mad house. It is right off a major highway (495) and the traffic is always backed up for miles for its midnight opening. There are always stories of fights and arrests and thefts etc. I have never braved the outlets but there are great sales to be had. Coach is usually half off, Yankee Candle is half off, Lindor Chocolate does fill a bag specials.

Thieves have a field day here too. Supposedly there are spotters in the parking lot who watch people put their purchases in their cars and then the spotters let the thieves know which cars to break into.

You can save money with AAA membership too, that is anytime not just BF

[Princess7915]

LOL I know - I am prepared for it to be a total nightmare. I don't think my hubby has that quite sunk in yet. Which is the ONLY reason he's agreeing to go. I'm going purely to ME shop this year. I want clothes and shoes. I am dreading the dressing rooms as most of these places have long dressing room lines and only 1 or 2 rooms on any old given day anyway. I'm seriously thinking of wearing some small shorts and a sports bra and trying on clothes in the aisles!!!

 

Coach at 50% is a dream I'll put that on my list. My mom and I went one time on a random Wednesday and they had the firemarshall directing people counting in and out LOL!! It was trip! But the spotters in the parking lot is scary

[msl94]

It seems as if the Premium Outlets have the same sale every year. Although they advertise a "Midnight Madness" sale, there are a number of stores who open early, some of which as early as 10pm. The one sale that I remember is at Yankee Candle where they advertised 6 Large Candles for $60.

[Princess7915]

Will they say on the Outlet website what the store hours are for BF? I'd like to know if I should be there at 10 or 12. It's about 45min away from me so it makes a difference in my day.

[msl94]

I know some of the outlet sites have posted their hours for BF, as the one near me in Tinton Falls have a number of stores opening at 9pm Thanksgiving night (they did this last year also). As far as BF sales are concerned, they should be posted sometime next week, as they usually wait until a week before BF as in the past.

[totallyBF]

I've done outlet malls before pretty mad house depending on what you want, i would say try and have someone drop you off early before traffic starts around 930pm ive done outlets 3 years in a row but not planning this year

[Elmck]

I thought about going one year but the traffic going to Williamsburg from here was really bad so I changed my mind. If you go, report back and I might try again another year.

[AndreaInNC]

We do it almost every year and it is a madhouse at the Smithfield, NC outlet mall. I think last year some stores opened at 10pm, while others opened at midnight. Parking is the hardest thing to do - people actually just pull off of I95 and park on the side of the highway.

 

Get there early and get a parking space!

 

Banana Republic normally does 40% off the entire store, including clearance. Yankee Candle also does 1/2 off all gift sets. I've already got coupons in the mail from Hilfiger!!

 

The outlets normally post hours and what each store is going at least 1 week beforehand. I just checked ours and they have hours posted, but that's it for right now.

[Princess7915]

I did some looking yesterday and some of the stores have hours / sales up. I'll check again next week. I also signed up a long time ago for the VIP thing because I go often. You get to print coupons for the stores that offer things. Some are for an additional 15 or 30 % off your purchase good anytime so I wonder if that includes a BF sale? That would be amazing!! Some have specific short dates but some are good all year long? I'm going to take them because all they can do is tell me no right?

 

Nothing is terribly close to the Williamsburg outtlets and I'm about an hour away. My plan right now is to eat about 4 - leave home about 7 get there around 8ish and I suppose wait until the first stores open between 9 and 10. Anybody have an opinion on that plan? I have NO CLUE right now how many stores open "early" before midnight but getting there technically 4 hrs before the midnight opening should get me in the parking lot I'm hoping??

 

I'm going with my husband who says he wants to go because there are things he wants - but keep in mind as he knows there will be crowds, his LEAST favorite things in the WORLD are crowded stores and mayhem parking lots so I am on very borrowed patience with him. So I want to be early enough to avoid miles of back up but not too early to have to wait for half a day in a car. This is like planning a trip with a 9 year old LOL.

[2chia]

LOL I know - I am prepared for it to be a total nightmare. I don't think my hubby has that quite sunk in yet. Which is the ONLY reason he's agreeing to go. I'm going purely to ME shop this year. I want clothes and shoes. I am dreading the dressing rooms as most of these places have long dressing room lines and only 1 or 2 rooms on any old given day anyway. I'm seriously thinking of wearing some small shorts and a sports bra and trying on clothes in the aisles!!!

 

Coach at 50% is a dream I'll put that on my list. My mom and I went one time on a random Wednesday and they had the firemarshall directing people counting in and out LOL!! It was trip! But the spotters in the parking lot is scary

 

In regards to the dressing room nightmare. I have one suggestion for you. If you know you are definately shopping for clothing. Get your measurement ready( upper body , hip , waist, height from neck line down to your ankle , inseam ....etc) and be sure you bring a fabric ruler with you. It will save you from getting some headache and come back home with a wrong size item.

[gemini1567]

The Premium outlets near me already have their hours posted on their website, including the stores that open earlier then midnight. 1 year I did it & it was complete & total chaos, worse then Walmart on BF, I swore I wouldn't do it again. I did brave it again last year and my hubby stayed (snored) in the car while my sil & I went around to the stores. Expecting the crowds definitely helped me prepare, more mentally then anything else. We had a great time. We'd finish an area, drop the packages off to dh & then he would drive us to the farther end (ours outlet is split by a road), then he drove out to a lot outside of the outlets & went back to snoring I scored some great deals.

[freesia39]

https://www.premiumoutlets.com/sales/

 

After-Thanksgiving Weekend Sale

Midnight Madness Kick-Off*

Fri - Sun, Nov 23 - 25

 

Mark your calendar Don't miss the biggest sale event of the year. Enjoy exceptional holiday savings and extended shopping hours, plus, experience Midnight Madness as many stores open their doors at midnight right after Thanksgiving.* Some stores may open even earlier. A list of store sale information is posted on each center-specific Sales & Events page. Check center-specific websites for extended sale hours. Select a center from the drop-down menu above.

 

*Midnight opening after Thanksgiving at all Premium Outlet Centers® except Florida Keys Outlet Center; Factory Merchants Branson, MO & The Shoppes at Branson Meadows, MO; Factory Stores of America centers in: Boaz, AL; Graceville, FL; Story City, IA; Georgetown, KY; Lebanon, MO; Nebraska City, NE

[Erdica]

Ours is right outside of Cincinnati. My best friend and I went up there last year just to see. We got there around 430 AM because we did the opening at Target. It was busy....and more crowded then usual. But it wasn't too bad. We got some good sales and were in and out of the store we needed to get to and were at the mall by 700AM. Parking of course was a nightmare, but we weren't there for the opening.

[Bectoria]

Williamsburg outlets - it was impossible to find a parking space at 11PM last year. We drove back by around 1 and it was still madness. We gave up and ended up going the next morning around 9 - sales were still in full swing and it was not crowded at all.

[msl94]

Is it me or does it seem as if they keep running the same BF sales each year? The only thing that changes is the time in which the stores open (most of which are opening at 9pm this year).

[Princess7915]

Well if you have some experience on what you've found there before please share. I've never done the outlets before so I'm interested!

[msl94]

Although I posted the Yankee Candle sale earlier in the thread, I am willing to believe that stores such as Nike, Reebok, Under Armour and Calvin Klein have had the same sales in the past. The best advice I can give, based on prior experience, is to get there at least 45 minutes before they open. This way, you can avoid the long lines of traffic trying to get in.