A new outlet mall just opened in Tampa, and it includes many of your favorite stores. Calvin Klein, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Pacsun, Nike, Forever 21, and Adidas are some of the over 110 stores now available.

“Personally, my favorite stores are Tommy Hilfiger, Polo, Sperry, and J. Crew,” said Brian Seybold.

Located at the edge of Pasco County near Hillsborough, it is around a half hour drive from Freedom, depending on traffic. The outlet mall offered many great deals and sales in the weeks after the grand opening.

“The mall had such a nice atmosphere. I don’t know if it was the anticipation of waiting and wanting to go or the actuality of it, but just being there gave [me] such a happy feeling. There were great deals in most of the stores. The new mall has a lot of what Citrus and Wiregrass doesn’t, but it is missing a lot of what they do have,” said Amanda Sanchez, senior.

The buzz about the new event in town has caused quite a stir. Students and adults alike are flocking to check out the new attraction. This creates great business for the mall, but many students have complained of packed stores.

“When I went there, finding a parking spot was awful and everything was super crowded. I guess it’s because it’s new and all,” said junior, Josh O’Clair.

Just as the mall has attracted crowds of customers, it requires workers to staff the multitude of stores. Some students at Freedom have already begun working at the outlet.

“It’s different, I guess, but at the same time kind of the same as most malls. It’s a really great atmosphere, and it’s got a really classy look to it. It has some really good stores but not a super wide variety. I thought I was gonna hate the job, but after working there it turned out to be really good and all the people are super chill,” said, junior, Becca Bible, an employee at Tommy Hilfiger in the new mall.

The mall also includes a food court with dining options like Johnny Rocket’s, Asian Chao, South Philly Steaks and Fries, and Auntie Anne’s.

“They could definitely use more food places. The middle of the mall, near the food, was very nice and peaceful. I liked how the stores were grouped well so that the similar places were near each other and easy to locate. I could definitely get a paycheck, spend the whole thing in one trip, and be so satisfied with my purchases, which usually doesn’t occur. The mall was definitely crowded but still manageable and enjoyable,” said Sanchez.

Shoppers now have another top competitor to choose from when deciding which mall to visit in the Tampa Bay area.