Neiman Marcus, Saks among retailers at Fashion Outlets of Chicago

 By Brigid Sweeney - Crains - Chicagobusiness.com

Fashion Outlets of Chicago, the major new mall set to open in August near O'Hare International Airport, announced its full tenant list today.

As reported last week, the two-level, 530,000-square-foot center will be anchored by a Bloomingdale's outlet, Last Call by Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th and Forever21.

More than 100 other retailers will join them, including Banana Republic, Barneys New York, Giorgio Armani, Gucci, J.Crew, Michael Kors, Nike, Prada and Tory Burch.


The mall also will be home to two restaurants: Prasino, an upscale, health-conscious eatery that's already earned a following with locations in Wicker Park and west suburban La Grange, and Villagio, an Italian spot by Florida-based restaurant group Carpaccio LLC, which operates several Miami-area restaurants, including one at the upscale Bar Harbour Shops. The mall will also have 16 or 17 other more casual dining options.

“The era of the shopper and the community being estranged from one another and the mall as a remote appendage doesn't work any longer,” said Arthur Weiner, chairman of AWE Talisman, Fashion Outlets' Coral Gables, Fla.-based co-developer. “We're integrating fashion, food, art and shopping.”

Mr. Weiner said he hopes to draw a heavy crowd of international tourists from nearby O'Hare, especially Chinese, Brazilian and Russian luxury shoppers.

“The outlet industry is tremendously tourist-driven,” he said. “We market our centers globally to (international) tour operators.”

Fashion Outlets will try to capitalize on its location near O'Hare by offering regular shuttles to and from the airport's terminals, Mr. Weiner said, and shuttles to and from the CTA's Blue Line. It will also operate a concierge service that allows travelers to print their boarding passes and check shopping bags and luggage from the mall.

Though some suburban malls have struggled to regain their footing after the recession, Mr. Weiner said consumers will flock to a high-end mall with a vibrant mix of tenants and dining options.
“Outlets have been a model that people frequent three times a year on their way to somewhere else,” Mr. Weiner said. “They were in the cornfields, removed from the population and had no sizzle. It's time to change that.”

Retail experts agree that Fashion Outlets is positioned to do well.

“They've put together a really impressive roster of tenants, which is far and away the most important factor in a mall's success,” said Neil Stern, a retail analyst at Chicago-based McMillan Doolittle & Co.