By Craig Patterson

The Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton International Airport has officially opened in Edmonton, and there were crowds of people waiting to get in for the May 2nd grand opening. Some waited in line since midnight to be the first to see inside the completed centre, which is located south of the city on airport property.

The centre is a partnership with landlords Ivanhoé Cambridge and Simon Property Group, boasting 428,000 square feet and almost 100 retailers. There are over 2,200 parking spaces and the centre now employs more than 1,000 full and part-time staff. More than 200 construction-related jobs were created for the centre, which saw an investment of about $215 million. The centre is LEED Certified, according to Ivanhoé Cambridge.

*Grand Opening. Photo: Ivanhoe Cambridge*

Six anchor tenants include: DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, Forever 21, H&M, Nike Factory Store, Old Navy Outlet and Marshalls (which opens this summer). The centre also announced 70 retailers earlier this spring, and we listed these in a previous article in March of this year.

Since then, several more retailers have been announced for the centre, with some of them yet to open. Genesis Motors has opened in the centre — the car company is rolling-out retail spaces nationally in some leading malls. Browns Shoes will open the region’s first ‘Browns Outlet’, which is sure to be a hit amongst those seeking designer footwear at reduced prices. Lacoste is listed as a retailer that will be ‘coming soon’ and popular pretzel concept Wetzel’s Pretzels is also a confirmed future tenant. Polo Ralph Lauren, a staple in most premium outlets, has signage up for a soon-to-open space. Edmonton-based designer Kelly Wolf has opened a store as well.

Another update: Laura Severs confirms that signage for a future Kate Spade store is now up as well.

Stores open at Premium Outlet Collection Edmonton provided by Christopher Lui (Twitter), below:

A surprising tenant for the centre is Jack Georges, which is known for its pricey, high quality leather bags and accessories. It would appear that this would be the brand’s first standalone Canadian store — we tried to call the store to confirm but the Premium Outlet Collection’s website appears to have accidentally put another retailer’s number on its website, as of press time.

The centre is attempting to differentiate itself from other regional shopping centres, and one unique retail concept is SHARE, which is an innovative market which brings together local producers, artisans, and a specialty coffee shop.

Services at the centre include: DeliverEASE parcel shipping and delivery, which ships direct-to-home; gift cards and gift wrapping; CUP, Alipay and WeChat Pay (accepted at Guest Services as well as participating retailers); stow and go (coat, luggage and parcel); boarding pass printing and flight arrivals/departures screens; complimentary mobility assistance; complimentary baby supplies; portable cellphone chargers; airport shuttle stop information; free Wi-Fi and lounge area; complimentary refreshments; ‘refresh room’ for weary travellers on long stopovers at the airport.

Opening soon photos provided by Christopher Lui (Twitter), below

“We are thrilled to bring our premium shopping experience to the Edmonton International Airport and surrounding community,” said Claude Sirois, President, Retail, Ivanhoé Cambridge. “Premium Outlet Collection EIA will be a unique shopping destination for Alberta, guaranteed to draw visitors from within and beyond the province. The combination of value-focused retailers, all under one roof, and our signature array of guest services and amenities is sure to please value-seeking and fashion-conscious shoppers.”

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“We are so delighted to team up with Ivanhoé Cambridge in Edmonton,” said Stephen Yalof, CEO of Premium Outlets, Simon. “This is Premium Outlets’ fourth opening in Canada and I have no doubt that our commitment in delivering sought-after brands and value will continue to resonate with our Canadian customers."

*Additional photos below have been curated from social media from the opening day.

Craig Patterson, now based in Toronto, is the founder and Editor-in-Chief Retail Insider. He's also a retail and real estate consultant, retail tour guide and public speaker.

Follow him on Twitter @RetailInsider_, LinkedIn at Craig Patterson, or email him at: craig@retail-insider.com.

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