When I pulled off Exit 20 North Way in Warren County last weekend, there were no long lines of cars waiting to turn left into the famous ‘Million Dollar Half Mile’ of outlet shopping near Lake George.
oh oh i thought Perhaps an email from a retail research aggregator with the provocative subject line “Do you have an outlet?” was desperate.
Locals say bargain hunters access Vermont using the same northbound lane of Route 9, via Route 149, just past five outlet centers on either side of the road. I know that Exit 20 may be set back as it competes with commercial traffic heading east. .
But if you plop down, you’ll see a full parking lot, and at the pedestrian crossing that crosses the center to the center, stop shoppers to find Adidas, Levi’s, Eddie Bauer, Coach, and other names of the country at discounted prices. I was.
Still, spring and summer were tough times for closed malls, outdoor “lifestyle” centers and outlets, according to Placer.ai, a location analytics firm that tracks shopper visits.
Especially at outlets, the number of store visits has decreased compared to 2021, and has been decreasing every month since May. Visitor numbers at malls and outdoor centers he turned negative in July.
Placer attributes the recession to a “lingering challenge” of inflation and high gas prices, which has led consumers to spend less and less at leisure, making them reluctant to shop for recreation.
One bright spot could be the drop in gas prices since the June high. This was reported by Placer last week and was evident during a visit to the outlet in August.
Placer also said that while August’s monthly data “pointed to an overall struggle,” changes in weekly visits compared to 2021 showed a “more positive picture” towards the end of the month. said to show. through autumn.
(Since Placer’s report, the government has released its consumer price index for August. Despite lower gas prices, the consumer price index rose 8.3% in August. The amount has been boosted by 13.5% since August 2021.)
KDA Hospitality’s Laura Coles, who runs the Adirondack Outlet Mall at Exit 20, sees “some truth to the concerns” expressed in Placer’s foot traffic report.
But Tennant stores, which have built relationships with both local shoppers and repeat customers, are “maintaining their performance,” she said in an email.
“[W]Some places may have less traffic, but shoppers are there to shop,” she noted.
The Exit 20 store has the advantage of being close to year-round vacation destinations on the Lower Adirondack River. Sales are likely to peak in July and August, but “we will continue to see strong results throughout the year,” Coles said.
Outlet retailers, like other sellers, have supply issues that affect product mix and availability. .
Marlene Kennedy is a freelance columnist.Her opinions expressed in her columns are her own and not necessarily those of the newspaper.Contact her [email protected]
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