A First Look at Toronto Premium Outlets

Want to start your workweek off on the right foot? Here's a first look at the new Toronto Premium Outlets in Halton Hills, just off the 401 at Trafalgar Rd. As previously reported on this blog, the outlets are set to open on August 1st, 2013 and as you can see, construction is well underway. If you missed it, click here to find out the current list of stores.

I had the opportunity to interview a few key people from Toronto Premium Outlets last week and here's what I found out.  The job fair was a massive success and according to General Manager Megan Johnson, thousands of people turned up to score jobs, with associate to management positions given out on the spot. When asked if we can expect the steep discounts we see in the States, Johnson said that this outlet is unlike those kinda-sorta-outlets (my words, not hers) we have seen in Canada in the past, with 25 - 65% off every day. Discounts will be very similar to the Premium Outlets in the U.S, only with Canadian currency factored in. Best of all, the construction on the outlets is on schedule so it look as though we can actually expect an August 1st grand opening. #yay. 

Next, I interviewed Liz Bauman, Divisional Vice-President of HBC Outlets, hoping to score some valuable info on what we can expect. Here's what I found out: 

• As the anchor of the mall, the HBC Outlet will be one of the largest, if not the largest, store at Toronto Premium Outlets.
• The store will carry lots of designer and name brands.
• HBC Outlets will carry merchandise at 20 - 70% off the regular price.
• Toronto Premium Outlets was a terrific opportunity for Hudson's Bay to open an outlet 

For the rest of the interview, Bauman remained tight-lipped:

Me: "Even though Canada has had outlet centres for awhile, this is the first-ever outlet for HBC. Why now? Does it have anything to do with the pressure of Nordstrom coming to Canada?

Bauman: "No comment."

Me: "Any word on which brands we can expect to find at the HBC Outlet?"

Bauman: "I'm not going to comment on that."

Me: "Okay, how about overstock from The Room, the White Space or Lord & Taylor? What are the odds of me scoring Proenza Schouler at 20 - 70% off?"

Bauman: "I can't comment on that right now."

Sad face. I will persist, Liz Bauman. And I promise you, fellow outlet anticipators, I will let you know as soon as she decides to spill.  Luckily, we don't have long to wait. In the meantime, click here to join the VIP Shopper Club for exclusive online coupons, a voucher for a free VIP coupon book and email updates sent to your inbox. Am I excited about Toronto Premium Outlets? No comment, but I'm pretty sure you can read between the lines. x