Published May 2005

Outlet center brings
dozens of retailers to area

Snohomish County Business Journal/JOHN WOLCOTT The new Seattle Premium Outlets shopping center, the latest addition to the Tulalips Tribes’ Quil Ceda Village, looked like a ghost village in late April. But when it opens May 5 for a four-day celebration, tens of thousands of shoppers are expected to pack the corridors of the venue.

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

The Seattle Premium Outlets shopping center opens May 5 at the Tulalip Tribes’ Quil Ceda Village, bringing more than 100 new businesses to the area, some well known locally, others new to the Pacific Northwest.

As many as 95 stores are expected to be ready by opening day, with the remainder of the 111 tenants listed on the outlet center’s Web site opening in coming weeks, marking the arrival of one of the major new retail center developments for Snohomish County in recent years.

Discounts are reported to be 25 to 65 percent daily at the stores, along with coupon savings of 15 to 30 percent for those who join the free VIP Shopper Club, which also includes a VIP Coupon Book and periodic e-mail updates with exclusive discounts for many stores.

Among the discount outlet stores will be Nike, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Gap Outlet, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Sony, Brooks Brothers, Seiko, Samsonite, Harry and David, Christian Outlet, Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory, Waterford Wedgwood and Borders Book Outlet.

Designed and built by the Chelsea Property Group, owner of the smaller, 55-store outlet mall at North Bend on I-90, the Seattle Premium Outlets center at Tulalip is distinguished by an inner network of canopy-sheltered walkways and windowed storefronts, large open intersections and venues ranging from relatively small to very large.

Among the businesses spread throughout the center are seven food vendors, including Auntie Anne’s Soft Pretzels, Famous Wok, The Great Steak and Potato Co.; Ranch 1-Waffle O’s, Starbucks Coffee, Subway and Villa Pizza. The center also provides ATMs, stroller rentals, wheelchair availability, restrooms, telephones and a bus-line stop near the management offices.

Some 500 local residents already have found jobs at the center, as managers, sales clerks and food providers.

“The grand opening will be May 5 through 8, with no ‘soft’ opening,” said Assistant General Manager Lisa Taylor, a Chelsea Property Group spokesperson who gave a presentation to the Smokey Point Area Chamber of Commerce in mid-April. “We do expect a little bit of traffic.”

People will find “it’s a shopping center, not a (covered) mall,” but the draw will be that it will offer “a department store mix of quality brand (merchandise) for the whole family” and at discounted prices, she said.

Chelsea bought the North Bend center in 1981, but the Tulalip center is the first Chelsea has built from the ground up in Washington state, she said.

Explaining that the Seattle Premium Outlets center is not the usual kind of shopping center, Taylor noted that bus tours for tourists will be normal events and that three Japanese-speaking employees were hired to ensure the best measure of hospitality for the many Asian groups expected from both Seattle and Vancouver, British Columbia.

During the year, there will be special sales events, including sidewalk sales for various holidays, Taylor said, adding that an information center will direct shoppers to hotels, auto repair centers, restaurants and other area places to visit during their stays.

Shopping center hours will be 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sundays. More information is available at www.premiumoutlets.com, including membership in the VIP Shopper Club and registration for group tours for 15 or more people.

The Chelsea Property Group and its parent company, Simon Property Group, are headquartered in Indianapolis, Ind. Simon is a real estate investment trust engaged in ownership, development and management of retail real estate, primarily regional malls, outlet centers and community shopping centers.

Back to the top/May 2005 Main Menu