What is National Outlet Shopping Day

I’ve written about a lot of national holidays, but until today, I’d never heard of National Outlet Shopping Day. As someone who loves to shop at outlet stores, I was intrigued.

So, I decided to write this article to introduce you to National Outlet Shopping Day. It’s a brand new holiday that just started in 2022. 

What is National Outlet Shopping Day

Not surprisingly, someone who owns outlet malls started National Outlet Shopping Day. And that would be the folks that own Simon Premium Outlets and Mills. 

I loved shopping at Franklin Mills (now Philadelphia Mills) when I lived outside of Philadelphia. It was my first introduction to Nordstrom Rack.

Thankfully, when we moved away from Philadelphia, we didn’t move away from a Simon outlet mall. Since then I’ve shopped at the outlets at the Jersey Shore as well as north of Pittsburgh. 

I love shopping at the J. Crew and Banana Republic factory outlet stores near me. Also, Bath and Body Works. They have the best lemon-scented liquid hand soaps.

That’s me trying on a coat at the J. Crew Factory store at the Grove City Premium Outlets. Yes, I bought it.

When is National Outlet Shopping Day

It was first celebrated on June 11, 2022. Actually, it was a two-day holiday.

It spanned June 11 and June 12, which were a Saturday and Sunday in 2022. So, I wonder if National Outlet Shopping Day will be June 10 and 11, 2023. Those are the Saturday and Sunday days.

What made it a holiday? Well, one, there was the fact that 90 Simon properties participated with deals and sales. Two, there were sweepstakes and giveaways for the shoppers who showed up on June 11 and 12. 

A press release about this new shopping holiday explained the perks this way:

“All shoppers who visit a participating property can enter for a chance to win the Ultimate Power Shopper Giveaway. The grand prize package, valued at $75,000, includes the VinFast VF 8, a new premium electric vehicle, and a $20,000 shopping spree at any Simon Premium Outlets or Mills of their choice.”

If you can’t get to a Simon outlet during National Outlet Shopping Day, you can always shop these premium outlets online.

Here were some of the retailers that participated in National Outlet Shopping Day:

• Aéropostale Factory Store
• Banana Republic Factory Store
• Brooks Brothers Factory Store (some Brooks Brothers stores offer tailoring and alterations)
• Columbia Factory Store
• Forever 21
• Polo Ralph Lauren
• Reebok Outlet

Where are Simon outlets located

As I mentioned there were some 90 Simon outlet malls that participated in National Outlet Shopping Day 2022.

FYI, Simon-owned shopping centers closed on Thanksgiving in 2022.

Here are the 29 states where you’ll find these outlet malls. Then, under each state, I’ve included the cities or towns where there are Simon outlet malls and mills properties.

Arizona

Chandler

Phoenix Premium Outlets

Tempe

Arizona Mills

Tucson

Tucson Premium Outlets

California

Cabazon

Desert Hills Premium Outlets

Camarillo

Camarillo Premium Outlets

Carlsbad

Carlsbad Premium Outlets

Folsom

Folsom Premium Outlets

Gilroy

Gilroy Premium Outlets

Livermore

San Francisco Premium Outlets

Napa 

Napa Premium Outlets

Orange

The Outlets at Orange

Petaluma 

Petaluma Village Premium Outlets

Pismo Beach 

Pismo Beach Premium Outlets

San Diego

Las Americas Premium Outlets

Vacaville 

Vacaville Premium Outlets

Colorado

Lakewood

Colorado Mills

Thornton

Denver Premium Outlets

Connecticut

Clinton

Clinton Premium Outlets

Florida

Destin

Silver Sands Premium Outlets

Ellenton 

Ellenton Premium Outlets

Florida City

Florida Keys Outlet Marketplace

Lutz

Tampa Premium Outlets

Orlando 

The Orlando International Premium Outlets

Orlando Outlet Marketplace

Orlando Vineland Premium Outlets

St. Augustine 

St. Augustine Premium Outlets

Sunrise

Sawgrass Mills

Georgia

Calhoun

Calhoun Outlet Marketplace

Dawsonville

North Georgia Premium Outlets

Lawrenceville

Sugarloaf Mills

Hawaii

Waipahu

Waikele Premium Outlets

Illinois

Aurora

Chicago Premium Outlets

Gurnee

Gurnee Mills

Indiana

Edinburgh

Indiana Premium Outlets

Michigan City

Lighthouse Place Premium Outlets

Maine

Kittery

Kittery Premium Outlets

I’ve included these Kittery outlets in this article about the best outlet shopping in Maine.

If you’re interested in heading up to L.L. Bean, here’s the lowdown on outlet stores in Freeport, Maine.

Maryland

Hanover

Arundel Mills

Arundel Mills Marketplace

Clarksburg 

Clarksburg Premium Outlets

Hagerstown 

Hagerstown Premium Outlets

Queenstown 

Queenstown Premium Outlets

Massachusetts

Lee 

Lee Premium Outlets

Wrentham 

Wrentham Village Premium Outlets

Michigan

Birch Run

Birch Run Premium Outlets

Minnesota

Albertville

Albertville Premium Outlets

Eagan

Twin Cities Premium Outlets

Mississippi

Gulfport 

Gulfport Premium Outlets

Missouri

Chesterfield

St. Louis Premium Outlets

Osage Beach 

Osage Beach Outlet Marketplace

Nevada

Las Vegas 

Las Vegas North and Las Vegas South Premium Outlets

New Hampshire

Merrimack 

Merrimack Premium Outlets

New Jersey

Blackwood

Gloucester Premium Outlets

Elizabeth

The Mills at Jersey Gardens

Jackson 

Jackson Premium Outlets

Tinton Falls

Jersey Shore Premium Outlets

New York

Waterloo 

Waterloo Premium Outlets

Central Valley

Woodbury Common Premium Outlets

North Carolina

Charlotte 

Charlotte Premium Outlets

Concord 

Concord Mills

Smithfield

Carolina Premium Outlets

Ohio

Aurora

Aurora Farms Premium Outlets

Monroe

Cincinnati Premium Outlets

Oregon

Woodburn 

Woodburn Premium Outlets

Pennsylvania

Grove City

Grove City Premium Outlets

Philadelphia

Philadelphia Mills (formerly Franklin Mills)

Pottstown

Philadelphia Premium Outlets

Tannersville

The Crossings Premium Outlets

South Carolina

Gaffney 

Gaffney Outlet Marketplace

Texas

Allen

Allen Premium Outlets

Cypress

Houston Premium Outlets

Grand Prairie 

Grand Prairie Premium Outlets

Grapevine 

Grapevine Mills

Katy

Katy Mills

Mercedes

Rio Grande Valley Premium Outlets

Round Rock 

Round Rock Premium Outlets

San Marcos 

San Marcos Premium Outlets

Virginia

Leesburg

Leesburg Premium Outlets

Norfolk 

Norfolk Premium Outlets

Williamsburg 

Williamsburg Premium Outlets

Woodbridge

Potomac Mills

Washington State

North Bend 

North Bend Premium Outlets

Tulalip

Seattle Premium Outlets

Wisconsin

Johnson Creek

Johnson Creek Premium Outlets

Pleasant Prairie 

Pleasant Prairie Premium Outlets

Shopping At The Outlets

Whether you’re shopping at the outlets on National Outlet Shopping Day or at another time during the year, you need to keep some outlet shopping tips in mind. These are not only tips to be a smart shopper but also ways to save yourself money and frustration.

Shop at outlets in tax-free states

OK, so this advice applies to regular clothing shopping, too. But it will be like getting a double discount if you can get a great deal on clothing at an outlet and you happen to be shopping in a state that doesn’t tax clothing purchase.

What states don’t charge sales tax on clothing? I know three off the bat– New Hampshire, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. When outlet shopping in New Hampshire, I always head to North Conway.

Or, shop during tax-free shopping holidays.

Buy what you need, not what you want

I think that too often you can fall into this mentality that just because you’re shopping at an outlet, you are automatically getting a great bargain. This is not always true. 

Sometimes brands make clothes just for the outlets. They’re not the super-secret clearance items from the main stores. However, this article on Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack explains how to spot those super-secret clearance items.

Shop with a plan in mind

Just like a smart shopper goes to the grocery store with a list in hand, you should approach an outlet-shopping trip with a purpose in mind. The best way to keep your spending within limits is to shop off of your list and not to make any last-minute, impulse purchases that you didn’t budget for. 

Know your return options before buying anything

In most retail situations, as long as you have a receipt to prove that you bought something at a store, you can return that item for a refund or exchange. Many stores have time limits for returns. Therefore, as long as you have a receipt and the tags on your clothing, you shouldn’t have too much trouble taking something back. 

On the other hand, returns can be a whole different animal when shopping at an outlet store. For example, clothing purchased at an outlet must be returned to an outlet–not the name-brand store somewhere else. 

I learned this lesson the hard way once when I bought something at the Gap outlet, and then tried to return it at the Gap store in the mall. Then I made the mistake again when I bought something from Ann Taylor online. I visited my local Ann Taylor outlet (the closest store to me), but they wouldn’t take it back.

This is a far cry from the generous return policy at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. That is, you can return items from either store to either store. 

Final thoughts on National Outlet Shopping Day

The other biggie in the outlet mall business is Tanger. That explains why they didn’t participate in this new shopping holiday.

However, since Simon created National Outlet Shopping Day, only time will tell if this shopping holiday spreads to other non-Simon outlet malls. That being said, I sure hope that it does.

And if it does, I’ll expand this article to include Tanger Outlet locations.