The Phoenix Premium Outlets recently opened near Horizon Honors, and over the weekend, we decided to check out some of the stores.

The layout of the outlet mall is very easy to navigate through, and it loops around to make it easy to find stores or window shop.  Although it is an outdoor mall, it has plenty of shade and fans with mist to keep shoppers cool throughout the warm summer months. We thought that this was a really nice feature of the mall because it gives the feeling that you are spending some time outside without feeling uncomfortably warm.  There are also a number of small sitting areas where we saw people relaxing and people watching.  Also, we were surprised to see a number of people with dogs walking around the outlets.

A majority of the stores at the Phoenix Premium Outlets seem to be aimed toward an older demographic. There are a few stores aimed more toward teenage shoppers, such as Charlotte Russe, Quicksilver, and Converse, but most of the stores are more expensive.  The larger stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue Off 5th, Michael Kors, and Coach appeared to draw a large number of shoppers during our visit, but they are not stores where younger people will typically make purchases. Despite this, there is quite a large selection; there are currently 90 stores, and there will be more opening in the coming months, such as Kate Spade New York and Ralph Lauren.

The Phoenix Premium Outlets are worth a visit, and despite being a little out of our price range, we had a fun time walking around and window shopping. Even if you don’t go for the shopping, go for the open and fun environment.