VF Outlet closure signals end of an era
WEST READING » At one time, the VF Outlet name was practically synonymous with the city of Reading and Berks County, its success largely responsible for establishing the region’s bygone reputation as the “Outlet Capital of the World.”
Now, after a half-century, the VF Outlet store in West Reading is closing its doors. The announcement came in the form of an advertisement for a store closing sale via social media Dec. 1.
“It’s been part of the fabric of our community for over 50 years, as far as the outlet goes,” said West Reading Main Street Manager Mark Ratcliffe. “And the mills have been there well over 100 years.
“It’s sad to see them go, but that seems to be the nature of retail.”
North Carolina-based Kontoor Brands, owner of VF Outlet, confirmed the impending closure of the West Reading store, describing the decision as a “strategic evaluation.”
“When we spun off from our former parent company, VF Corporation, and became an independent, publicly traded company last year, we talked about the benefits of optimizing our retail footprint,” said a Kontoor Brands spokesperson in a statement.
VF Outlet is holding a storewide liquidation sale while it remains open through Dec. 24.
Once the anchor for the sprawling VF Factory Outlet Center, VF Outlet relocated to the new Designer Place building at Eighth and Hill avenues in April 2018 as part of The Knitting Mills redevelopment project.
The rise and fall of the original VF Outlet
Previously located at the former site of the Berkshire Knitting Mills, straddling the border between West Reading and
Wyomissing, the VF Outlet began as a one-day clearance sale. Founder M.O. Lee came up with the idea as a means of selling off excess inventory after purchasing the textile mill the previous year.
The event was a success, causing Lee to hold a second, larger sale before finally launching a factory surplus store for Berkshire International and Vanity Fair products.
VF Outlet would grow to become the first modern outlet center in the U.S. At its pinnacle, the outlets hosted dozens of retailers and served as a tourist destination, with shoppers coming by the busloads to take advantage of deep discounts.
Over time, the Outlet Center’s popularity waned. In 2016, the largely vacated 34-acre property was purchased by Delaware County-based Equus Capital Partners, which has since implemented its vast Knitting Mills redevelopment plan.
VF Outlet remained in the mix for The Knitting Mills complex, opening its new store to much fanfare.
Four months later, in August 2018, VF Outlet’s parent company, VF Corporation, split into two separate entities, with the stores and signature jeans falling under the umbrella of its offshoot, Kontoor Brands.
Issues for VF Outlet’s brick-and-mortar operations seem to have continued under Kontoor, locally and elsewhere, as store closing announcements have been trickling in across the nation over the last month.
What will replace VF Outlet at The Knitting Mills?
VF Outlet had figured in prominently to the original plans for The Knitting Mills, both as a recognizable brand name to draw consumers and a callback to the area’s history.
George Haines, senior vice president of acquisitions and development for Equus, had referred to the store as a “linchpin” for the complex when it opened in 2018.
Equus representatives were not immediately available for comment.
If the rapid development and movement in the area is any indication though, the property will not sit idle very long.
The Knitting Mills has experienced little trouble attracting prominent tenants. In Wyomissing, where much of the building is focused, commercial development and real estate is booming.
And in West Reading, where Ratcliffe acknowledged financial headwinds caused by the coronavirus may have been a factor in the VF Outlet’s demise, he is encouraged overall by the current business climate in West Reading, where new businesses are popping up at a faster rate than those that are shuttering.
“We’ve had eight businesses close, but we’ve had 18 open up, so it’s been a nice turnaround,” said Ratcliffe. “I think it speaks volumes about West Reading and about the strength of this community.”