The land to have the ONLY CHANEL outlet in the world. Although it must be said that the goods in the Chanel outlet were pretty ghastly. Vomit green clutch, anyone?
Woodbury Common Premium Outlet
If there is one place you must go to before you die, this is it. A branded goods paradise, with Chanel, Dior, Burberry, Tod's, together with the more down-to-earth stuff like Adidas, Nike etc. This is seriously a shopaholic's paradise on earth.
Important things to note before you go:
(1) Register as a VIP member for free on the website http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/outlet.asp?id=7
(2) Print out the coupons, especially the one that entitles you to a free VIP coupon book upon arrival
(3) Print out the map and mark out the stores you die-die must go, and the route to take. This is very important! The place is HUGE and you don't want to waste time trekking cross-country.
How to go:
(1) The BEST way will be through driving, because then you can dump your copious purchases in the car at regular intervals, instead of lugging your 10kg of loot everywhere. But then, rental and driving in NY is not really convenient for tourists, so the next best way is...
(2) Take a tourist bus! Just take the subway to Port Authority and buy tickets from Gary Line or Shortline. NOTE that you can buy the cheaper ticket, because the more expensive tickets are actually inclusive of the VIP coupon book (which you already have for free!) Take note of the first bus there and the last bus back. You should aim for the first bus so that you don't have to queue for the really popular stores e.g. Gucci.
Upon arrival:
(1) Immediately CHOPE a locker! This is for whole day rental, so that you can dump your backbreaking purchases into the locker and carry on shopping crazily.
(2) GO SHOP!!!
Additional TIP: US has a couple of holidays that are important for shopaholics to note e.g. Fourth of July Sales, Thanksgiving sale which is crazy... the outlet opens at midnight! And there's additional discounts on top of existing discounts!
Jersey Gardens
Another must-go!!! Very different from Woodbury but equally satisfying. This is the less-branded outlet mall but notable outlets include Abercrombie & Fitch, Forever 21, H&M, Bath & Body works and Victoria Secret, which is seriously crazy! Buy lingerie and their lotions, sprays, makeup to your heart's content, cos it's all cheap, cheap, cheap. I bought like 15 bottles of lotions and sprays :D I also scored Aldo boots and Nine West heels for only USD20 each!
How to go:
Cheaper than Woodbury because it's served by normal buses. Take the subway to Port Authority and buy a ticket from the automated machine for New Jersey Transit Bus #111 or #115. Follow the directions to the busstop.
Upon arrival:
Show your passport at the concierge to obtain a free booklet of savings. But actually, the booklet is not that great. But the things in the mall are already crazy cheap anyways! :D
Additional tip: This place is an enclosed shopping mall, so it's good for winter/ summer, where you can just hide in the air-con, compared to Woodbury which is in a village-style format.
Some pictures of my loot:
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