OKC Outlets unveils revamp in time for holiday shopping season
To a retailer, curb appeal can go along way toward getting customers through its doors.
OKC Outlets’ owner gets that, and its been working on improving that aesthetic for its tenants during the past couple months.
As summer has made its way into fall, subtle yet substantial changes have been getting made to the 34-acre mall’s appearance.
Pastels that once adorned the exterior walls of the mall’s buildingsare gone, replaced by a more subtle colors that, when combined with accents, are designed to make retailers’ signs stand out.
Also, the owners are working to replace the signs motorists can see from Interstate 40 and from Council Road and Reno Avenue, the arterial streets bordering the mall.
The signs were redesigned to move the OKC Outlets logo to the top so that motorists wouldn’t be confused about whether or not they had arrived at the destination.
Jeannette Smith, OKC Outlets’ general manager, said the changes are part of what owners are calling a refresh project.
“Most visible to everybody is the paint,” Smith said. “We think it creates a more enhanced environment for our shoppers, and that it also creates a beautiful, natural palette for our retailers.”
Now, the mall building’s base colors are white and gray, and there are accents mixed in that Smith said are designed to draw the eye toward retailers that are farther away from where a shopper might be standing.
“You really notice the brands pop out,” she said.
The changes are being made as the mall eases into what it hopes will be a very successful holiday shopping season.
It’s inviting dignitaries to an event this month to celebrate the changes. Meanwhile, select retailers already are offering 20 percent off one-time purchases, while still others are preparing to offer special discounts to military families as Veterans Day approaches.
After that, Black Friday arrives, and by then, Smith said OKC Outlets will have added three additional retailers to its ranks, including Oklahoma Coffee Roasters in the mall’s food court.
Smith said OKC Outlets has more than 90 retailers that occupy about 400,000 square feet.
Gaining an edge
Jim Parrack, retail specialist and vice president at Price Edwards & Co. commercial realty, said he understands why OKC Outlets is making the changes.
Today’s retail environment, Parrack said, is very competitive for retailers. Not only are they competing against other stores, but they also are getting pressured by online sales.
“Every retailer is looking for some kind of distinctive way to draw shoppers, whether it be through price, marketing or appearance, and that extends out to the property owners, as well,” Parrack said.
“So, anything you can do to give your center and its tenants an edge by enhancing its appearance through paint, landscaping or other improvements, that helps build those distinctions that are going to set it apart.”
Parrack observed OKC Outlets already has a pricing advantage because of the nature of its business.
“Upgrading the look only will enhance its advantage,” he said.
The appearance changes are being made by The Outlet Resource Group in Maryland and Singerman Real Estate of Chicago, which announced it had acquired the development from Horizon Group Properties and CBL & Associates for $130 million.
From the outset, the new owners said they would seek to make the mall a bigger part of the community and said that they hope the makeover will be a step in that direction.
Smith said OKC Outlets also is launching a new advertising campaign that uses a local agency to design its content and message.
“Our owners are excited to be in the market and want to share what we are doing to improve the center and its aesthetics and be a great community partner,” Smith said.
“We just felt that for the market and our customer, we wanted to present a more sophisticated look.”