Chesterfield: Midwest Shopping Mecca
According to retail experts, dueling outlets opening soon will make suburban Chesterfield (St. Louis) have among the highest concentration of outlet retail in the country. And within the same radius of these centers are
Chesterfield Mall - a large regional mall - and
Chesterfield Commons - one of America's longest and largest outdoor power centers at 1.5-miles and 2-million square feet.
See Video: Outlet Malls in Chesterfield only third of its kind in the country
Link: Store Listings For Each Center
CHESTERFIELD, Mo. (KSDK) - Brand names with a lot of bling are five days away from opening day.
Two new outlet malls, five miles apart from each other, will have the kind of stores you won't find in the Midwest under one roof.
Wacoal, Uno de 50, Armani, Kate Spade New York , Saks Fifth Avenue and 95 or so more high end outlet stores will open in the open air village like property under the Taubman name in Chesterfield on Friday.
St. Louis Premium Outlets opens on August 22. Retail experts are calling them the Midwest shopping mecca.
They tell NewsChannel 5 the malls are rare. Only two other cities, in Maine and California, have what Chesterfield has.
"In order to be successful, there will be more shoppers needed other than the local residents," said Chesterfield Mayor Bob Nation. He believes people will come from at least 300 miles away to shop here.
Retail experts believe the malls will create among the highest concentration of outlet retail in the country. They'll make Chesterfield a destination city.
A businesswoman who takes people on shopping tours around the world tells NewsChannel 5, she'll be bringing those tours here from across the country.
The mayor has heard the criticism the malls may not have enough people to support the business. He's hopeful they'll succeed. He said, the bling they'll bring will end up in city coffers.