This is Macy's new outlet store, the first one in metro Dallas. (There's also one opening in FW)…read more
Saw a story in the Dallas Morning News about it and thought I'd check it out, as I spend a lot of $$ at outlet stores, and at Macy's!
So I drove 30 miles roundtrip to Town East Mall, which is closer for me than driving to Allen (but not to The Shops at Park Lane's outlet stores).
This "outlet store" is actually just another department located inside the regular Macy's Town East store and isn't separated by a door, or anything else. It's difficult to find in the store, with no signs pointing the way, not to mention no "Grand Opening," or anything else! I had to ask two sales associates (who are also difficult to find, btw) where it was.
It's just a very small, oddly-configured rectangular area of the store on the lower level.
It is not "clearance" from other Macy's stores; rather, for the most part it's cheap, unknown-name merchandise purchased for the "outlets." But, at the same time, they had what was apparently a real Gucci (under lock and key) and a real Tory Burch handbag for sale.
Even though the whole area is very small, for some reason they devoted a great deal of space to selling soft drinks and junk-food snacks, which one would think they would be concerned might get spilled on the merchandise!
Their shoe racks also contain very little merchandise, and they had a "decor" section with tacky rattan furniture and velvet hangers that looked like they were from DD's Discounts! Clothing is seasonal, with nearly every single women's top and dress I saw being sleeveless. They also have a kids' section.
The fitting rooms (here called "dressing rooms" - what a novel concept!) have nice, three-way mirrors in the stalls, but they're not carpeted. Instead, there's a cement-like floor. An employee told me it was because carpet "doesn't absorb odors." Huh? Are they needing easy mop-ups because they're expecting homeless people-- or kids-- urinating on them? Or maybe to clean up spilled soda and candy that they sell? Thank God at least they don't have unisex dressing rooms, such as at Target and at Bloomingdale's Outlet!
The background-noise level in the "store" was extremely loud and irritating. Not only that, there were two completely different styles of rock music blaring together so loudly with such cacophony that it made me want to cut my shopping short and run out of the store ASAP: "I'll confess! I'll confess!"
They do accept Macy's credit cards, but you can't use your Macy's coupons. Also there's no 15% extra discount, or any other incentive, for using your Macy's card. I had to find out these facts from a manager, as the employee who was checking me out was clueless when I asked her.
And they're so cheap, when I bought a maxi skirt and insisted they leave it on the hanger, they admitted they didn't have a long, plastic bag for it, only short ones, so they could save money.
And unlike at regular Macy's, I was told you only have 30 days for a return.