JENKS, Okla. — The holiday shopping season has officially begun, the first for the Tulsa Premium Outlets. The outdoor mall opened in Jenks over the summer. For some shoppers looking for Black Friday deals, it was their first visit.
“Lots of great stores,” said a shopper named Jessi. “A lot of things to choose from, so we'll be back for sure.”
“There's a lot more new stores that they didn't have in Tulsa before,” said Skylar, who was shopping with her sister, Ridley.
Ridley added that “they have some good deals today, too.”
Midday Friday saw thralls of people shuffling down the mall’s corridors and plazas. For all these shoppers, it was their first time spending Black Friday at the Outlets.
2 News walked around and listened to shoppers’ thoughts about the new mall and brought them to management.
Their thoughts were overall positive.
“This is brand new. I like it here,” said Skylar.
For decades, Woodland Hills Mall, Tulsa Hills, or the Promenade were the most convenient shopping centers for many people in the southern parts of the Tulsa metropolitan area.
But since Woodland Hills’ 1976 opening, the southern metro has exploded.
Bixby, Jenks, and Glenpool’s populations have all skyrocketed by well over 600% each since 1970 (620%, 866%, and 693%, respectively), overshadowing the City of Tulsa’s 24% growth.
Skylar and Ridley are from Bixby and said the Premium Outlets are more convenient than the other options.
“It's way closer to family and everything here,” Skylar said. “It's a good drive. Better than going to the OKC outlets.”
It’s also convenient for those who live much farther away, like Jessi from Miami, OK.
“We have a lot of great local shops in Miami, but we don't have a lot of the big-name stores anywhere nearby,” she told 2 News. “We used to go to Branson and shop. But since you guys are so much closer and it's new, we're gonna come here.”
The shoppers didn’t say much about what could be improved. However, they mentioned one thing more than others.
“Food court,” said a man named Skylar from Tulsa. “Food. We need food here.”
“My kids are all griping because there's not a lot of food places to eat, like right here,” Jessi said. “But, I mean, that would be the only thing, but we really are enjoying it.”
On the Outlets’ website, only five options were shown under the “dining” page.
Eileen Neighbors is a spokesperson for the Outlets.
When 2 News asked her if they’re trying to add more options for food, she replied: “As you know, we're very new, so there's still a lot on the books. And I think that if you check back — you know — within a few months or a year, you're gonna find some other options around here in terms of food.”
Neighbors told us the Outlets hopes to eventually attract more national store brands, add new features, and perhaps spur development surrounding the mall.
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