I drove by the new Round Rock Premium Retail Outlets this weekend. I lived in San Marcos between 1995-1999 and saw the shift in the city's economy as the outlet mall grew larger. Growing up, I thought outlet malls were places to get cheap junk that no one wanted. I learned of the existence of "premium" outlets when I moved to San Marcos in '95.
San Marcos has one of the largest outlet malls in the U.S. Retailers include Neiman Marcus Last Call, bebe O, Kate Spade, Calvin Klein, etc. The holidays were some of the busiest seasons of the year for the premium outlets. Hundreds of thousands of visitors from various parts of the country (including South America) would flock to the city to shop on some weekends.
The revenue generated was absolutely fantastic. The city kept growing in the area surrounding the outlet. Savvy investors added additional hotels, restaurants, and nearby apartments. I'd suspect the same thing will happen in Round Rock. The clientele is similar, with Round Rock being about three hours from Dallas and two from Houston. San Marcos is closer to visitors from San Antonio and Mexico, but is only about another hour or so away from Round Rock.
With IKEA opening early as well, the city of Round Rock will continue to grow.
Read at the American Statesman: Round Rock braces for retail surge.
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