Gloucester Premium Outlets to open in South Jersey Aug 13

Construction continues at the Gloucester Premium Outlets in Blackwood, NJ., just a week ahead of the outdoor mall’s grand opening on Thursday, Aug. 13.

     See our Gloucester Premium Outlets opening day photos

     See photos of the stores at the Gloucester Premium Outlets

Dozens of workers blanketed the mall on Tuesday, putting the finishing touches on store facades, interiors, and landscaping. But representatives for Simon Property Group, which owns Gloucester Premium Outlets, say the mall will be ready in time for its grand opening.

It will include more than 90 stores that will offer merchandise with 25-65 percent discounts off regular prices.

Retailers include Adidas, Banana Republic, Calvin Klein, Puma, and Tommy Hilfiger. There will also be children’s stores like OshKosh B’Gosh, shoe stores like Converse, jewelry stores like Vera Bradley, and specialty shops like Lindt Chocolate.

Not all of the stores are expected to be ready for the grand opening next Thursday. Stores listed as “coming soon” on Simon’s website include: Armani Exchange, Brooks Brothers, Gap, Old Navy, Kenneth Cole, Zales, and Toys ‘R’ Us Express.

        See full store directory

The Gloucester Premium Outlets will join Philadelphia Mills, formerly the Franklin Mills mall, as one of the two major retail centers featuring outlets in the Philadelphia region. Philadelphia Mills differs from Gloucester Premium Outlets in that it also contains traditional retail stores.

The Gloucester Premium Outlets property is laid out in a rectangular, village-style design. Most stores are arranged along a large, outdoor path that includes some covered walkways and seating. Cutting through the middle of the property is a wide plaza called Town Square” which includes Market Hall, a center-of-town-style building that will house restaurants and a lounge with wireless Internet access.

The Simon Group will host free events like live music and community gatherings in the plaza, in keeping with the company’s goal to offer other attractions at the outlet mall.

“We want this to be a destination for our shoppers and not just a stop along the way,” said Kristen Murdica, general manager of the Gloucester Premium Outlets.

The project has reportedly created 300 temporary construction jobs and will support 800 permanent full-time and part-time workers.

The new shopping center is located between Route 42 and the Black Horse Pike near Camden County College’s Blackwood campus.

Murdica says Simon hopes the Gloucester Premium Outlets will positively impact the South Jersey community.

“It is one of the largest economic development projects within [Gloucester Township], so we hope that it actually brings a lot more businesses to the area,” she said.

Blackwood is an unincorporated community located within the municipality of Gloucester Twp.

Congressman Donald Norcross (D-NJ) and Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer will attend next week’s grand opening.