My love for Bloomies is second to none, in fact this was the store that got me into a lot of financial trouble, but hello can you blame a girl. Bloomingdale's has a great selection of everything that I love!
So when I found out last November that the department giant had opened its first 2 of 4 Bloomingdale's The Outlet Stores in South Florida, I was excited.
Sure it took me 7 months to make my first visit, but I'm not a fan of either malls, where the stores were opened (Dolphin Mall and Sawgrass Mall--eek!)
Last weekend I was finally able to check out the store in Dolphin Mall and decided that I had to report my findings to my girls.
I was immediately drawn in by the display of L.A.M.B. shoes at the entrance (and no there was no sign that indicated that the pairs on display were L.A.M.B., but I know my shoes.)
Main entrance of Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store located in Dolphin Mall
For the most part, I have a love/hate relationship with outlet stores, but it's mostly hate because I feel these stores promise you the world, and they never deliver (such as Saks Fifth Avenue's Off the 5th, Nordstrom Rack and Neiman Marcus' Last Call.) But this was Bloomies, so I went in with a positive attitude because after all I'm a Bloomies aficionada.
I don't know if I've metioned it or not, but I suffer from chronic OCD and I can't handle messy or dirty places, especially if I'm trying to get my shop on, but my first impression of this outlet store was: "Wow this store is amazingly neat and organized, especially for being such a huge place.
After being talked out of buying the L.A.M.B. shoes that I had already fallen in love, I made my way down the shoe department, which was also surprisingly neat and spacious, but not very interesting.
Snapshot of the women's shoe department
BTW: This store does not want the consumer to forget that it is an outlet store, so they have signs posted everywhere like the one below:
You can also receive a
$20 certificate off a $100 purchase just for signing up to their newsletter.
After shoes, naturally I headed to their accessories department, which was very sad. You won't find a huge array of brands or purses or jewelry (it was so sad, that I couldn't even bring myself to taking pictures of it.)
My girlfriend who was on a mission to find a sexy top for her outting that night, also left empty handed as there was not a huge selection of sexy.
I, on the other hand fell in love with the dress pictured below. Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store claims that everything is 35-70% off retail prices.
Hands down this was the best thing I found, aside from the pretty pair of L.A.M.B. shoes. Still, I couldn't bring myself to pay more than $100 for a brand I had never even heard of.
The front of the bright clam colored dress. This color looks great on both fair skinned and darker toned
people.
The back of the fabulous clam colored dress that would go great with a pair of gold strappy sandals and a bold cocktail ring. What would you wear it with?
As you all know, I'm a creature of habit and visuals, if you want my attention put something pretty in front of me and I'm like a moth to a flame. The store's display tables did not disappoint. See for yourself:
Cute and appropriate for the summer season, not like some other outlet stores that highlight their winter looks in the middle of summer.
By this time, my girlfriend and I had split up and I was doing my best to take in as much of the store as possible, but I sort of got lost in the denim section. I love denim, especially if it's premium denim.
Denim Shop
They have a lot of jeans and brands to select from at reasonable prices, and don't forget the $20 off your $100 purchase, you can walk out with a pair of cute JBrand jeans for $80--now that's what I call a good deal.
Are you planning on taking a trip to find thrifty things? Here are a few things you should remember when hitting up Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store:
Pros:
- It's a huge store with the possibility of finding a lot of great items, but make sure you give yourself a good 2-3 hours minimum to go through the merchandise in the various departments.
- The store has a good layout and virtually has signs all over the store to help you navigate through it.
- Again, I can't stress the importance of a neat and organized store, which makes for a happy shopping experience.
- Don't forget to take advantage of the $20 off any $100 purchase
Cons:
- Not a huge or great selection on shoes, handbags or jewelry
- There's only one fitting room section for each sex and they are sort of hidden, so you might have to ask a sales associate for direction.
- Speaking of sales associates, they weren't much of help or welcoming. The members on the floor in this particular store were too caught up in their conversations with one another to even take a minute to greet you or ask if you need help.
Now that you're in the know you are all ready for your trip to the Bloomingdale's The Outlet Store and you are armed with a plan of attack.
As for me, once again I walked away empty handed from an outlet store, but that never stops me from checking out the next one.
I'm on to the next one.
xoxo-- Your GTG
"Buying something on sale is a very special feeling. In fact, the less I pay for something, the more it is worth to me." Rita Rudner
