PREMIUM OUTLETS OPENING A HUGE SUCCESS

Just over a year after construction began, Toronto Premium Outlets opened yesterday (Aug. 1) amid fanfare and unprecedented crowds. By mid-morning, on site and multiple overflow lots were filled to capacity while store management reported sales beyond expectations. “We have always known this would be a fabulous market for the Premium Outlets brand,”said John R. Klein, president of Simon’s Premium Outlets division, “but we could never have predicted this level of positive shopper response. So many Canadians are familiar with our Premium Outlets properties in the United States and it’s clear from today’s response that they are as excited as we are about this kind of shopping.”Shoppers lined up hours before the opening ceremony with crowds so large that traffic was backed up on to Hwy. 401 and other surrounding roads throughout much of the day. By mid-afternoon, there were still lines to get into many stores including, Coach, Kate Spade New York, Michael Kors and Polo Ralph Lauren and Hudson’s Bay Outlet, an iconic Canadian brand opening its first ever outlet store. (http://www.torontopremiumoutlets.ca)