Discount shopping mall

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.

Even with all the wonderful attractions in Washington, D.C., many visitors to our nation's capital still find time for shopping. In nearby Prince William County, Virginia, Potomac Mills (1-800-VA-MILLS) makes an excursion irresistible with headliners such as Mikasa, Royal Doulton, Guess, and Laura Ashley. Private fashion shows are one of the many special incentives offered to group tours.

Maine is a magnet for shoppers. Specialty shops and boutiques populate Portland's charming Historic Old Port District (1-877-833-1374), and the nearby Maine Mall (207-828-2063) offers fashions, furnishings, crafts, electronics, and just about everything else in more than 130 stores. Freeport (1-877-865-1212) features brand-name designer outlets, specialty shops, and the huge L.L. Bean flagship store that's open 24 hours a day.

Some places focus on one particular type of goods. High Point, North Carolina, is known as the home furnishings capital of the world. People travel from all over to "Magic Mile" (800-720-5255), where everything that has anything to do with furniture is represented. The Atrium Furniture Mall alone includes over 20 furniture stores. High Point even has a museum simulating a modern furniture factory and a building constructed to look like a chest of drawers.

As new shopping centers proliferate, they often keep in mind an area's traditions; at Opry Mills (615-514-1000) in Nashville's Opryland, entrances reflect the city's rich country music heritage. The Food Court encompasses a family oriented "Picnic in the Park" environment and one of the retailers, Gibson Guitar, houses a museum and a live performance venue.

To the delight of those "born to shop," their adored pastime is here to stay. And as long as they show no signs of slowing down, their favorite destinations will keep getting bigger and better.

A Midwest Mega-Mall

According to the Illinois Bureau of Tourism, the state's most visited attraction is not a Chicago museum, but a shopping mall in northwest suburban Schaumburg.

Woodfield, the country's fifth largest shopping center, annually draws more than 28 million shoppers, 20 percent of whom travel more than 100 miles from home. A short drive from Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, Woodfield has five department stores--Sears, JCPenney, Nordstrom, Lord & Taylor, and Marshall Field's--plus 300 specialty shops and 20 restaurants.

Woodfield is widely recognized as a trendsetter in marketing to domestic and international tourists, offering everything from hotel packages to multi-lingual services and conversion charts that clarify confusion over different sizing systems.

"Woodfield hosted more than 5.6 million tourists in 1999, and these visitors spent at least $34 more per visit than our highly valued resident customers," said Jim Linowski, general manager of Woodfield. "We even maintain a Greater Woodfield Visitors Information Center and employ a tourism marketing specialist whose sole job is to develop and implement tourism marketing programs."

A new "Treat Your Traveler" program rewards visitors and their local hosts for including a trip to Woodfield. Shoppers simply show their driver's license to verify that they're more than 50 miles from home, and they and their hosts receive a pass good for gifts and discounts at dozens of stores, restaurants, and services.

Woodfield's "World Class Shopping" weekend travel package ($110 to $155 per night) includes a tote bag filled with coupons and gift-with-purchase offers at nearly 200 stores, plus a $25 meal voucher for use at participating restaurants. The two-night weekend package includes discounted passes to top area attractions like Arlington International Racecourse, Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament, and Lynfred Winery. For package information, call (800) 847-9590.