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The Week in Shopping: We All Need an Outlet

The outlet mall is evolving from a discount location into a more sophisticated retail ecosystem—and people are willing to commute for it.

outlet stores shopping bags
The result is the emergence of a third model, in which retailers like Sephora are also opening full-price locations in outlet settings, banking on foot traffic and shoppers seeking real world experiences: In other words, they’re going where the customers are shopping. Photo: Gary Hershorn/Getty Images
Sarah Shapiro
May 2, 2025

There’s a retail revolution hiding in plain sight, 40 miles or so down the 580, southeast of San Francisco, at the Premium Outlets in Livermore. Here you’ll see the kinds of roped queues you’d expect outside places like The Row or Louis Vuitton in Paris, except they’re for Lululemon, Nike, Tory Burch, and even the true designer outlet stores like Prada. The people lining up aren’t necessarily hunting for the steep discounts one typically associates with outlet malls; they’re engaged in a sophisticated dance between perceived value and brand experience. Parking spots are nearly impossible to find on weekends.