Confessions of a Spouse of a Shopaholic - Toronto Premium Outlets Mall

My preferred shopping style is a fast surgical strike.  Go with a list of items and only go into stores I had past success at.  Browsing and taking my time, I save for a zoo or art gallery.  Ms. Shopaholic likes to take her time and has the patience to go through the racks.  I still don't know why she takes me with her...   On a grey and rainy Saturday, October 19th, we went for our first time to the Toronto Premium Outlets. Here is my review:

Toronto Premium Outlets - Main Entrance

Review of Toronto Premium Outlets:

Toronto Premium Outlet is the latest mall to open in the greater Toronto area and is part of a larger chain of US malls run by Simon who have both their suburban malls and 'Premium Outlets' chain.  We have previously shopped at several of them in our trips down South with some success.   Toronto outlet opened on August, 1, 2013 and still looks new in October.  What stood out from this location as compared to the others was the figure 8 design of the stores with the food court and information kiosk at the centre. So, the stores were more centrally located, rather than being a ring around a parking lot or an endless maze.  Further they have some nice added touches in the central courtyard with an outdoor gas fireplace, patio tables and toddlers playground.  Other locations we have been to only had benches.

Toronto Premium Outlets - Central Courtyard

Toronto Premium Outlets - Central Courtyard

The mall has 85 stores, which is a significant number, but many of their other malls have more than 100 stores.  Birch Run (Detroit) has a 145 stores and Grove City (Pittsburgh) 130 and the nearest to Toronto, Waterloo (Rochester) has a 100 stores.  Unlike the above malls, this one is located in the GTA and does not involve crossing the border.  The mall probably be more aptly titled Milton Premium Outlets and it is located 1 block North of the Hwy 401 at the intersection of Trafalgar Rd. (exit #328) and Steeles Ave.  Also, like all the other malls we have been to it is an outdoor mall and although they have roof overhangs in parts you could certainly be wet or cold on a bad day.  Not a selling feature for me.  Give me a climate controlled indoor mall any day of the week.

Toronto Premium Outlet - South West Quadrant

But for me it all comes down to money.  We bought only a few things after 3 hours of shopping.  The prices were only slightly better to our local mall with less selection and we did not encounter any great sales.  In the past, I have had much better luck shopping during sales at Yorkdale Mall.  Majority of the things I looked at were only slightly cheaper than the mall (10% maybe) and about 30% more expensive than our last summer trip to Detroit.  You add the 13% HST and suddenly things are far more expensive than the US without its federal sales tax.  State Taxes are similar to most provinces between 5% and 7%. With the dollar near par then you can get a lot more bang for your buck in the States. Toronto Premium outlets does have a coupon book and you can find a few more savings if you spend over a certain threshold.  See below for more details.

Quality is important as well. I can't speak for all the businesses, but I have noticed in the past that comparable items at the mall stores for both Ralph Lauren and Banana Republic have thicker fabric and are made in different countries than the Premium Outlets.  A friend of mine said that they specifically manufacture for this mall chain and other discounters.  Google did not provide a definitive answer, but others have suggested the same on comments pages.  So, you may not be getting the same quality as you would at the mall and that is reflected in the price as well.  Those small savings could be just an illusion.

Personally, I've had the most success shopping at Macy's during a sale and getting there foreign visitors 10% additional discount. If you go to the mgmt office at Macy's and show your ID they will give you a Welcome Savings Pass that you show to the cashier when you buy things and get an extra 10% off.  If you don't know Macy's is a large department store chain like the Bay and they sell a lot of the same brands.  Ms. Shopaholic has had the most success stateside shopping at Macy's, and at the Premium Outlets for Ann Taylor, Nine West, and Banana Republic.  She was disappointed that they did not have an Ann Taylor at the Toronto Premium Outlets, which she finds has decent business attire.  Otherwise, we have found that local savings can be best had by signing up for our favorite stores promotional emails and shopping early in the day during a sale.

For a complete listing of stores, directions, mall hours and holidays observed, see their official website.  For specific comments on some of the stores we visited, see the end of this article.

In conclusion, it is a nice modern outdoor mall, wide variety of stores, clean, and you could find a great deal if you're patient.   However, if you follow sales at your favorite stores than you probably can get better deals at your preferred mall.  Or better yet, go South for a few days and see some great sites during the day and do a little shopping at night.


How to Save a Few Dollars More:

This mall chain has a deal with CAA/AAA and if you show your card at the information desk (inside the central - Food Court) you can get a pamphlet that lists all the savings.  This is true for the other Premium outlets we have visited.  Generally the discount is a percentage off your purchase once you spend a minimum or set amount off your bill.  You can also spend $5.00 to buy these coupons.  We scanned the booklet, so you can see if it would be helpful for you.

Toronto Premium Outlets Discount Book - Page 1 of 2

Toronto Premium Outlets Discount Book - Page 2 of 2

Some Shopping Highlights:

The Bay Outlet Store - They have a large wall of shoes organized by size.  But, the majority of shoes looked like they had already been worn for a few weeks with visible scuffs and worn soles.  The Men's wear also had of lots dress shirts, sweaters, and pants. You would have lots of selection if you are men's small or Homeresque.

Lindt Chocolate Store - They give you a bon-bon on the way in and lots of tasty chocolate and other candy to buy.  You can save a few bucks if you buy some bulk chocolate and if you eat it all and you can save when you become XXL and shop at the Bay Outlet Store.

Ralph Lauren Store - Good service, nice displays and plenty to choose from.  The con is that many items (golf shirts, sweaters, and pants) are at least $20 more than US factory outlets.  Further, I have had better luck at the Bay or Macy's when they have Ralph Lauren on sale.

Nike Store - Large with lots of sports clothes and shoes.  I was surprised to see they were still selling 'Live Strong' items.   The Onion for awhile sold 'Cheat Strong' bracelets years ago before Lance finally admitted to doping. They had read the tea leaves right on that.

Columbia Sports Apparel - Lots of choices for coats and outdoor wear.  Had my eye on several things, but I didn't need anything new for the moment.

Banana Republic - This location had the least amount of Men's selection of any Banana Republic I recall being in.  A sales lady was very helpful, but I was unable to find anything worth buying in my size.

Tell me what you think below in the comments.   Did you have better luck than we did?  Worse?