Columbus Monthly / February 2012 / Shop 'til you drop

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Shop 'til you drop

When you’ve got Easton Town Center and Polaris Fashion Place in your backyard, you might not feel a pressing need to seek out more shopping experiences. But there is more to the national retail scene.

We’ve gathered info on some intriguing destinations within driving distance. Longing for a shop filled with Kate Spade’s dotty designs? Lusting after Kate Middleton’s platform pumps? Excited to give the kids a ride on an indoor roller coaster, then hit an American Girl store? Well, grab your keys and a credit card—we’ve got some serious sprees for you to consider.

 

King of Prussia Mall

When it comes to size, King of Prussia Mall in southeastern Pennsylvania lives up to its royal name. No other shopping center in the country can match this mall’s nearly three million square feet of pure retail space, says Kathy Smith, the mall’s director of marketing. And with more than 400 retailers, few competitors are able to match the sheer diversity the mall offers, both in terms of goods and price points.

Expanding the kingdom: The two-story mall currently is housed in two buildings: the Plaza and the Court (which also includes a small section known as the Pavilion). Shoppers can access both buildings only through an above-the-road parking lot and a covered walkway. But plans are in the works to create a corridor connecting the two, which will allow still more stores to be added.

Another project underway will turn a former department store into a large-scale space housing nearly a dozen new tenants. “It seems like we never stop growing,” says Smith.

Fit for royalty: Smith says the mall has “a reputation of not just being one of the largest malls in the country, but offering a greater-than-average number of upscale, luxury-type retailers in a single destination.” King of Prussia is no Rodeo Drive, of course, but the city’s mall does offer a volume of higher-end stores that Smith says is “unsurpassed in the region.” A number of retailers you might expect to find only in Manhattan or Beverly Hills—such as Tory Burch, Kate Spade, Cartier,   7 for All Mankind and Salvatore Ferragamo—can be found in this little Pennsylvania town.

Let them eat cake: Columbusites still mourning the closure of Morton’s the Steakhouse downtown will be happy to hear that King of Prussia Mall has a location. From the surf and turf to the legendary hot chocolate cake, you’ll feel right at home.

Stores: Around 400, including seven department stores
Dining options: 40
Entertainment/amenities: There are events hosted by individual stores, such as yoga at Lululemon Athletica, plus occasional celebrity appearances and events such as Fashion’s Night Out. In the end, though, “We are all about shopping,” Smith says. “We’re not trying to be a different type of experience.”
Location: 160 N. Gulph Rd., King of Prussia, Pennsylvania; kingofprussiamall.com

 

Tysons Corner

Tysons Corner in northern Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C., is a town made for shopping. Each of the area’s three major retail complexes has its own distinct style and offerings. Tysons Galleria is a three-story luxury center that focuses on premium, high-end retailers. Across the street is Tysons Corner Center, a more traditional, three-story mall. And just south of that is the Shops at Fairfax Square, a tiny property with big taste.

Cornering the market: Though other areas on our list may have Tysons Corner beat in quantity of shops, nothing matches up to these centers’ proximity. All three are lined up right next to each other, leaving you zero chance of missing any as you walk or drive past.

Upscale options: All three centers offer upscale retailers, though Tysons Corner Center focuses more heavily on traditional mall staples. Head there if you’re looking to supplement Bloomingdale’s, Ann Taylor and Charlotte Russe with Ed Hardy, Michael Kors and Jessica McClintock.

Tysons Galleria, on the other hand, focuses primarily on chichi boutiques such as Burberry, Chanel, Cartier, Versace and Gucci. “We are a luxury center, so the majority of our retail is premium luxury,” explains Madeline Lamberti, marketing manager at the shopping complex. The center’s attempt at including “mall shopping” means it offers J. Crew, Anthropologie, Coach,  Betsey Johnson and even Macy’s, but you won’t find an American Eagle here.

Fairfax Square is perhaps the most exclusive of the bunch, with four retailers of the highest quality: Hermès of Paris, Priscilla of Boston, Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton.

Best reason to visit: Many of the above-mentioned stores can’t be found in Columbus, or anywhere in Ohio for that matter. Among the three shopping centers, you’ll find other non-Columbus options as well, including 7 for All Mankind, David Yurman, Tory Burch, Cole Haan, A|X Armani Exchange and Free People.

Philanthropy and fashion: One of Tysons Galleria’s more unique events is the annual Fashion for Paws in April. This spring fashion show features 60 models—notable Washingtonians including political figures, media icons and socialites—who each raise at least $5,000 for the D.C.-area’s humane society, says Lamberti. The event has raised more than $650,000 to date, she adds, and is attended by more than 1,500 people each year.

Corner fare: At Tysons Corner Center, grab lunch at Wasabi, which serves sushi from a conveyor belt. For an upscale dinner, try MICHEL by Michel Richard. This restaurant—located in the Ritz-Carlton that’s connected to Tysons Galleria—is owned by the nationally acclaimed chef. Wildfire and Maggiano’s Little Italy also are popular at the Galleria, says Lamberti. At Fairfax Square, check out Chef Geoff’s Tysons and—yes, they’ve got one, too—Morton’s the Steakhouse.

Stores: Around 340, including eight department stores
Dining options: Around 60
Entertainment/amenities: Tysons Galleria hosts a fall fashion show, All Access Fashion, each September. It’s described as an international fashion week for consumers.
Location: Tysons Galleria, 2001 International Dr., tysonsgalleria.com; Tysons Corner, 1961 Chain Bridge Rd., shoptysons.com (both in Tysons Corner, Virginia); Shops at Fairfax Square, 8075 Leesburg Pike, Vienna, Virginia, theshopsatfairfaxsquare.com

 

Magnificent Mile

This mile-long stretch of premium retail on Chicago’s east side is chock-full of top-of-the-line shopping options. The district has three vertical shopping centers: The Shops at North Bridge on the south end of the mile, and Water Tower Place and     900 North Michigan on the north end. Add to those the hundreds of stand-alone stores lining the main and side streets in a 13-block area, and it’s easy to see why the Magnificent Mile deserves a place on every shopaholic’s bucket list.

Visitor perks: Each of the three shopping centers on Michigan Avenue offers exclusive savings packages for out-of-town guests. Requirements vary, but typically you just have to go to their concierge desks and provide an out-of-town ID, your ZIP code or the name of your hotel. The savings usually come in the form of coupon or discount books, sometimes accompanied by special gifts such as travel mugs or leather luggage tags.

Bragging rights: Both in terms of height and land area, the Mile has the other destinations in our roundup beat. Not even the triple-complex arrangement at Tysons Corner can compare to this district’s three malls and plethora of street shops. And when it comes to height, well, the Mile leads the pack with a four-level mall, a six-level mall and an eight-level mall.

Beyond Chicago dogs: No one does a mall food court like Water Tower Place . . . perhaps because this shopping center has taken the traditional food court and turned it into something much more pleasant. Water Tower’s mezzanine level is entirely devoted to dining. At the food-court-esque foodlife, greasy staples such as Sbarro’s and McDonald’s are replaced with 14 healthful food stations. Each serves a different style of cuisine—there’s a soup kiosk, a comfort food station, a pasta bar and so on—and the food is made from scratch while you wait, says Katie Lindsay, marketing manager at the shopping center. And at the foodease market, quality food is prepared to go, she adds. There you can grab a hot or cold sandwich or even belly up to a wine and cheese bar. The rest of the mezzanine is made up of casual restaurants such as         M Burger and Mity Nice. 

Windy City synergy: With stores at every price point—from Charming Charlie to Cartier—this shopping district has a good base of stores. But what really sets it apart are the unique boutiques, particularly those found at the 900 North Michigan Shops. Marketing director Sarah Burrows says each retailer in the complex is hand-selected to ensure a good balance and strong synergy. “We consider our retail selection to be really well curated, really thoughtful,” she says.

On top of that, the complex boasts exclusives, such as the only L.K. Bennett store in the country. Burrows says when Kate Middleton was photographed wearing a pair of L.K. Bennett shoes, the waiting list at the 900 Shops’ store jumped to more than 1,500 people.

Stores: Around 460
Dining options: Around 125
Entertainment/amenities: 900 North Michigan Shops has a tax-free shopping event during Presidents’ Day weekend, when many of the center’s stores give discounts equal to the county’s sales tax. In Water Tower Place, you’ll find Broadway in Chicago’s Broadway Playhouse, featuring live performances.
Location: The Shops at North Bridge, 520 N. Michigan Ave.; Water Tower Place, 845 N. Michigan Ave.; 900 North Michigan Shops, 900 N. Michigan Ave. (all in Chicago, Illinois); themagnificentmile.com

 

Mall of America

Perhaps the quintessential shopping destination, Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, is among the best-known malls in the country, if not the world. And with good reason: This shopping powerhouse boasts more than four miles of storefront footage alone. The place is so big, you could fit seven Yankee Stadiums, 32 Boeing 747s or 258 Statues of Liberty within its confines. But there’s more to the mall than its size and stores. “Here it’s about much more than just shopping,” says PR manager Bridget Jewell. “We’re the number one destination for retail and entertainment in the United States.”

More for your money: It goes without saying that Mall of America takes the cake when it comes to sheer number of stores—there truly is a shop for every taste, style and budget. But the best part? Minnesota doesn’t charge sales tax on clothing or shoes, so your dollar stretches further during your spending spree.

Family-friendly fun: It’s no secret that younger children rarely enjoy long shopping trips. But at Mall of America, even the grumpiest kids can find something fun to do. For girls, there’s the massive American Girl store, complete with a doll salon and a cafe. Boys and girls alike will enjoy the enormous LEGO Store, with a 180-element Pick-A-Brick wall, play tables and eight larger-than-life LEGO models, including a 34-foot-tall robot. And don’t forget Nickelodeon Universe, an indoor amusement park with 25 rides and attractions, including several roller coasters that are enough to entertain even the most sullen tween or teen. Don’t miss the Flying Dutchman Ghostly Gangplank, a ropes course that towers more than 50 feet above the park.

The mall also houses the SEA LIFE Minnesota Aquarium, which features an underwater glass tunnel and a rock pool where visitors can touch creatures such as sea cucumbers and horseshoe crabs. And there’s a miniature golf course; a twisty, turn-y mirror maze; the ACES Flight Simulator, and a state-of-the-art movie theater, one of only two in the Midwest to feature D-Box motion seats that tilt up, down and side to side along with the movie you’re watching. Combine the motion seats with 3D glasses and it’s as if you’re in the movie with your favorite characters, says Jewell.

Making a commitment: Without a doubt, you could plan an entire vacation that focuses only on the mall and its attractions. In fact, if you spent just 10 minutes in each store, it would take 86 hours to work your way through the entire mall. This shopping complex even has an on-site chapel for impromptu or planned wedding ceremonies—more than 5,000 weddings have been performed at the mall to date.

Stores: Around 520
Dining options: Around 50
Entertainment/amenities: More than 400 events a year, including interactive exhibits and celebrity appearances. A special Princess Diana exhibit runs Feb. 4 through June 10, 2012.
Location: 60 E. Broadway, Bloomington, Minnesota; mallofamerica.com 

 

SHOP OHIO

For outings closer to home, Ohio has some interesting shopping destinations. Though you might not be able to plan a weeklong vacation around tehse locales, they're certainly worth a visit.

Furniture

Ikea. Oh, that mecca of all things trendy, affordable and Swedish. While some may be appalled that Columbus doesn't have its own store, they can take comfort in the fact that there's one within easy driving distance, in West Chester. This furniture and home goods megastore makes for a great daytrip, thanks to an in-house cafe. Shop the display floors in the morning, grab some of the store's famous Swedish meatballs for lunch, then head to the warehouse to pick up your larger goodies.

Amish country. At the complete other end of the furniture spectrum, and on the other side of the state, is Amish furniture. Their high-quality, sturdry designs can cost a pretty penny, but you know you're getting your money's worth: Each piece is an investment that should last for generations. The Amish area of northeastern Ohio, around Holmes County, is large enough to spend an entire weekend browsing, so find a quaint bed-and-breakfast and make sure you sample some of that widely known Amish home cooking.

Food

Jungle Jim's International Market. Located in Fairfield, this is no ordinary grocery store. Jungle Jim's is a veritable food warehouse, with 1.5 acres of produce, 75,000 international products and even cigars from 70 countries. Check out products from Asia, the UK and Europe, and be sure to peruse the German, Hispanic and Indian sections as well. THis grocery haven also has a huge selection of hot sauces, olive oils, imported teas and sodas, chocolates and more. With its bars filled with prepared foods, a trip to Jungle Jim's could easily occupy you for the better part of an afternoon.

West Side Market. This historic farmers' market in Cleveland dates back to the 1840s. It's open year-round, though spring and summer months understandably offer a wider variety of high-quality produce. With more than 100 vendors selling not just fruits and vegetables, but also meats, specialty items, organic foods, cheese, seafood, flowers, baked goods, candy, prepared foods and more, this market just may be mecca for amateur chefs.

Housewares

The KitchenAid Experience. Who can resist the allure of a great bargain, particularly on the high-quality products that KitchenAid makes? Head to Greenville to learn the history of this compnay, including its now-famous (and highly coveted) stand mixer. You can catch a cooking demo or free cooking class before or after you shop the retail store, or head for the outlet center in the building's lower level.

Everything Rubbermaid. New homeowners? Working on renovating or redecorating? The Rubbermaid store in Wooster has—as the name implies—a selection of just about everything Rubbermaid produces. From home and kitchen products to cleaning, organization and storage, this is a great place to stock up on home essentials. There's a section of non-Rubbermaid toys for kids to entertain themselves while Mom and Dad shop, and an outlet center of sorts on the top floor, featuring discounted and discontinued items.

 

Emma Frankart is an assistant editor for Columbus Monthly.