Orlando shoppers have been eagerly anticipating the opening of The Container Store, and now all of their home-organization dreams have come true! The Dallas-based retail chain’s 60th location, their first in Orlando, opened its doors right across from the Mall at Millenia on Saturday, April 27.

Many homeowners in Orlando enjoy having a place for everything, and everything in its place. The Container Store is a one-stop-shop for education and supplies to reach the goal of a peaceful and orderly home.  One of only four in Florida, the store is impressive inside and out.  Neatly organized, beautifully displayed solutions for travel, storage, office, and more tempt shoppers to organize everything in sight!

This beautiful outdoor mall is the shopping hub for East Orlando.  With wide palm tree-lined avenues for strolling, an excellent variety of dining choices, and shops for everyone from teens to grandmas, it’s no wonder the town center is always packed with people!

Open-air shopping centers have been rapidly eclipsing traditional malls as the preferred choice for shoppers, and this concept works especially well in Florida.  The idea is to park your car once, and walk from store to store getting all your shopping done in one place.  Waterford Lakes makes it easy, which is why I stop by there at least a couple of times every week.  There’s even a Super Target with a full grocery store inside, making the towncenter a true one-stop shop.

Home decorators will have a field day at Waterford Lakes.  Bed, Bath, and Beyond, TJMaxx, Kirkland and Ross are located all in one corner, and each has a large, constantly replenished selection.  There’s also a Joanns and a Michaels, if you want to do it yourself.

Back-to-school shoppers will find everything  teens love at Waterford Lakes.  Tilly’s and Buckle offer surfer-inspired fashions. American Eagle and Aeropostale  are your source for trendy, preppy looks.

There’s a huge Skechers Company store, one of the only ones in Florida, with a huge selection of shoes at prices WAY lower than even a Skechers outlet.   And for some real bargains, drive across Alafaya Boulevard to Waterford Towers, where you’ll find a Plato’s Closet consignment shop full of the latest trendy designs for a lot less.

Waterford Lakes is a perfect date-night destination.  The Regal Cinemas features an IMAX theater, and is a great place to catch the latest Hollywood release.  Even if you’re not in the mood to shop, you’ll love the restaurant options at Waterford Lakes. Two of Florida’s favorite chains, Five Guys Burgers and Fries and Toojay’s Deli, both offer delicious meals, and the Marble Slab Creamery will make your favorite custom dessert right before your eyes.

In addition to all the great chain stores at Waterford, we do have some unique local hotspots worth checking out.  Stahli Celebrity Fashion Boutique holds a carefully curated selection of celebrity-inspired fashions from hot designers, plus some amazing accessories and fun home décor and gifts.  And you MUST stop by Sweet! By Good Golly Miss Holly, the amazing cupcake and frozen yogurt store whose chef has won Cupcake Wars on Food Network twice so far!

Before you go, check out the mall’s website at http://www.simon.com/mall/Deals.aspx?id=394.  They offer exclusive coupons for many mall retailers, so you can experience all that this fun mall has to offer.  If you’re looking to spend a fun day shopping outdoors, complete with dining and entertainment, Waterford Lakes is the place to go!

This mall is big, bold and beautiful, and it has some of the usual high-end mall stores like Apple, Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, and Victoria’s Secret. But this mall is worth a visit because it has so much more to discover. Skip the Starbucks and try something new- the Nordstrom e-bar offers incredible seasonal pastries and perfectly crafted espresso drinks.

Bay Street is an open-air dining and entertainment district that’s attached to the mall.  One of the highlights of Bay Street is this little Italian gelato shop: Gelateria Del Duomo. They have a full array of authentic Italian gelato, which is very hard to find in Florida!

Tory Burch is another new arrival to Florida, and her International Plaza store is just divine.  Hipsters and teens love Urban Outfitters for their quirky-chic clothing, toys, home decor and accessories. The International Plaza Urban is big, bright and chock full of everything cool.  Zara is a Spanish clothing store that offers well-crafted, reasonably priced apparel for men and women. Zara can be pricey, but they have really great sales, so it’s always worth checking out!

Ballard Designs’ luxurious French country home furnishings and accessories offer plenty of inspiration for home decorators. Z Gallerie is another hard-to-find home furnishings shop, and they have a large, attractive showroom in International Plaza. They offer oversized furnishings and accessories at reasonable prices.

Forever 21 is your go-to place for affordable, trendy teen fashions. Their International Plaza store is big and splashy, with a full range of merchandise for work, school, and play.  Gucci only has a few stores in Florida, and one of them is right here in Tampa. If you’re craving some incredible shoes or a sexy python bag, this is your place!

H&M recently began opening stores in Florida, much to the delight of Florida fashionistas. They have edgy, current merchandise that they turn over quickly, so when they want to clear it out, they have amazing sales. On the day I visited, they had cocktail dresses for $7 and winter coats for $5!  Only a few H&M stores in the US get the limited-edition designer merchandise, and the International Plaza store is one of them. This is the recently featured Donatella Versace collection.

The entire mall is bright and  open, with elegant courtyards and relaxing, plush seating areas.  Even the food court is beautifully designed, featuring hand-blown glass art from local artists at the Dale Chihuly gallery. International Plaza is great for all ages- I saw senior citizens mall-walking, fashionistas doing serious shopping, and moms with kids enjoying the bright, uplifting atmosphere- and this fun playground in one of the courtyards!  If you’re looking for the best place to shop in the Tampa Bay area, your first stop should be International Plaza and Bay Street. Enjoy your visit and let me know how you like it!

My favorite store at Florida Mall is Dillards. This is a major department store that’s really big in the south, and this one is the best I’ve seen anywhere. They have an excellent men’s department, lots of dresses and swimwear for women, and their handbag and shoe selection is quite comprehensive. For the best deals, watch their Facebook page or sign up for their promotional e-mails. That’s the only way to find out when they’re running their blowout sales, where they take an extra 30% to 50% off all clearance items.

Express is a  great place to shop for ladies clothing. Year after year, they offer well-made, on-trend fashions for work, casual, and weekend wear. They also have excellent sales, which are irresistible when they take an extra 50% off all clearance items. Express is definitely your best bet if you’re looking for jackets or pants for work, and they also make my favorite jeans in the world- try the Stella fit!

Besides serious shopping, Florida Mall has lots of fun things to do. It’s really easy to make a day of it, checking out all the fun shops and restaurants. M&M world is loads of fun, it’s bright and colorful, with lots of games to play. M&M fans won’t be able to resist making a custom mix of all their favorite M&M colors and flavors.

Sugar-seekers should make sure to visit Dylan’s Candy Bar. With bouncy, cheerful music and a variety of rare candy from all over the world, it’s a paradise for candy-holics. They have lots of cute clothing and candy-related accessories as well.

Charming Charlie’s is a new, small chain of stores that is the best place for finding the perfect accessory. They have a decadent array of cleverly arranged tables, sorted by color and style, where you are sure to find the finishing touch to any ensemble.  And if you didn’t get your fill of souvenirs at Disney World, you can stop by the Disney Store, located right near the Food Court, to pick up some more. They also sell Disney World tickets, which can save you a stop if you’re planning on theme park hopping while in Orlando.

H&M is a new addition to Florida Mall. They specialize in trendy, European designs, at amazing prices. The price points are mostly under $40, and the items are quite well made. When they have sales you’ll find jeans, sweaters, coats, and more for $5, so the sales racks are always worth a look.

When planning your visit, keep in mind the that Florida Mall is the busiest of all of Orlando’s shopping areas. During the holidays, it can be nearly impossible to find a parking spot, and it’s often so crowded inside the mall that it takes all the fun out of shopping. To avoid the crowds, the best times to visit are early in the day on weekdays. Sometimes you’ll need a break from your shopping, and there are plenty of nice restaurants like Buca de Beppo, California Pizza Kitchen, and the very fun Mochi Frozen Yogurt.

Starbucks Florida Mall Orlando

Right in the middle of the food court, there’s a Starbucks that is always packed, with very long lines. But for a more relaxing coffee experience, just head around the corner, towards the Florida Mall Hotel, and there’s a quieter Starbucks with comfy seating and no lines. It’s the perfect place to rest up and get your caffeine jolt so you can get back to power shopping!  Florida Mall is a fun, energetic place to shop, and the stores there offer the best of everything. Just follow my tips, and you’ll have a great time while scoring some of the amazing bargains that Orlando is known for!

Just about halfway between the shopping meccas of Orlando and Ft. Lauderdale, Vero Beach is the perfect place to get your discount designer shopping fix. It’s small, easy to get around, and just minutes from I-95, so it’s easy to check out all of the bargains.

Ladies clothing, handbags and accessories are your best bet at this center, with a lot of great stores packed in next to each other. I’ve found some great deals at the jumbo-sized Ralph Lauren outlet here, and the Tommy Hilfiger outlet is always worth a look. The BCBG Factory Store offers some major markdowns, just look for the fixed-price racks where you’ll find deals like cocktail dresses for $29.

The Dooney and Bourke outlet is a great source for well-made leather handbags. They run some really great sales throughout the year, sometimes around the holidays everything is an extra 50% off. When you’re in the store, sign up for their email newsletter, they send updates so you’ll always know what’s on sale.

The ever-popular Coach outlet store is a new addition to this center. They often hand out extra discount coupons when you come in the door, so make sure to get one! They offer Factory exclusive merchandise, which has an F before the numbers on the tags, and front-line store merchandise, which has no F on the tag. If you want the top quality items like you see in department stores, look for the tags without an F.

Chico’s is a great source for travel clothing, and they have some really cool jewelry too. Their sister store, SOMA, has amazingly comfortable and well-made lingerie and sleepwear. I always find great gifts on their $9.99 rack, and their silk nightgowns are especially nice.

Next time you’re headed down I-95 in Florida, make a pit-stop at Vero Beach Outlets, and let me know how you like it!

When it’s time for some serious shopping in Florida, your best bet is to head down south to the biggest of all Florida outlets, Sawgrass Mills Outlet Mall. Even for expert power-shoppers, shopping this entire mall will probably take an entire day or two. This gigantic shopping center near Ft. Lauderdale is like 4 malls in one. In addition to the outlet mall staples like Coach, you’ll find designer stores you won’t see anywhere else. Plus there are more than 8 HUGE anchor stores with a wide variety of deals in every price range.

Plus, Sawgrass Mills offers a fun, pretty atmosphere, so it’s a great place to spend a day. You’ll want to check out the cool alligators near the Colonnade mall entry, all painted by artists in funky Florida themes. I couldn’t resist this Wonder Woman one, made me feel like the Superhero of Shopping!

Make sure you’re getting a real deal by checking the retail price on everything you buy. 50% off retail is not a great deal. 75% to 90% off is what you’re looking to pay. To do this, look for stacked discounts, such as an EXTRA 50% off the lowest marked price. If you see a sign that says “UP TO 20% OFF” or something like that, don’t waste your time. It’s also a great idea to check out flat-priced racks. Many stores have $9.99 racks, and they sometimes hold items with very high values, so you can easily score a 90% off deal there. Here’s a guide to my favorite stores at Sawgrass Mills for finding the best markdowns.

BLOOMINGDALES OUTLET

This is a new addition to Sawgrass Mills, and the deals are smokin’ hot! They keep all of the clearance items together, which makes it really easy to shop the best markdowns. When I visited, they had a number of clearance racks with 40% to 60% off the lowest prices. I found cashmere cardigans for under $20, and high-end men’s leather boots for under $60. This is a REAL outlet store, with true designer merchandise, and it’s definitely worth a visit.

NORDSTROM RACK

There are many great deals to be had at this store, which is in the new Oasis section of the mall. The clearance racks are always worth a look, since they just keep marking things down until they sell. Nordstrom Rack is an especially good place to shop for shoes, because they carry extended sizes (up to men’s 20 and women’s 13!) and they mark them down to ridiculously low prices. I found a pair of men’s leather boots on my most recent visit for $25, and the dress rack never disappoints, with a good mix of cocktail and work-ready designs.

OFF FIFTH SAKS FIFTH AVENUE

Just skip all of the displays in the front and head straight for the clearance racks, the best ones are straight back near the children’s section. There’s always a huge selection of women’s clothing, handbags, and shoes here, and all clearance is usually an extra 50% off. This is also one of the few stores where you can find plus size designer clothing on clearance, and the deals on swimwear are very good.

MARSHALLS

I love shopping at Marshalls all over Florida, and this is the best one of all. It’s the size of a Wal-Mart, about four times bigger than your usual Marshalls, so it has MORE of everything! The deals are great in every department, they have tons of shoes, handbags, menswear and ladies clothing. Look for the yellow clearance stickers for the best markdowns anywhere.

NEIMAN MARCUS

The sales here are hit-or-miss, but it can be a great bet for major designer pieces at decent discounts. Check out the racks with the dots on top, and look for stickered clearance items to find the best deals. Designer denim, evening gowns, and handbags are the departments where I’ve found the best markdowns at this location, so it’s always worth checking out to see what their current offers are.

COLONNADE DESIGNER STORES

There are some super-luxury stores at Sawgrass Mills in the new Colonnade section. This is where you’ll find the Prada outlet, Tory Burch, Giorgio Armani, Burberry, and the like. For designer jewelry, they have David Yurman, Damiani, Tag Heuer and Judith Ripka. The Judith Ripka store offers some stunning pieces at 75% off, and I’ve made some great buys there. This is a lovely open-air area to shop, but in my experience the markdowns are not all that great. If you’re a collector of one of these brands, you may find some pieces at about 50% off, but for regular bargain shoppers, it’s probably more of a window-shopping destination.

AMAZING DINING CHOICES!

Sawgrass Mills Outlet is worth a visit just for the food. In addition to the usual food-court fare, they have some beautiful restaurants serving gourmet meals. It’s so nice to take a break from a full day of shopping in a lovely place like Grand Lux Cafe. This is my favorite Sawgrass restaurant, they have an expansive menu and everything is just delicious. Make sure to save room for their custardy, sugar-dusted beignets with three dipping sauces. I do think that was the best dessert experience I’ve ever had!

YOUR BEST BET FOR FLORIDA SHOPPING DEALS

Tourists visiting from out of the country often shop Florida outlets to get the best bargains. If you only have time to shop one of Florida’s outlet centers, I recommend you choose this one. You’re guaranteed to find everything you’re looking for, and if you shop smart, you can load up your suitcases with designer bargains at a tiny fraction of retail prices.  Just follow my shopping tips to bring home the best designer deals!

So you’re coming to Orlando- in between the shopping trips, you plan a few theme park visits, and of course you’ll need some trinkets to bring home to your family and friends. But DON’T buy them at the parks! You’ll just end up toting huge bags to the parking lots and paying four times as much as you should. Both Disney and Universal Studios have outlets in Orlando that sell their theme park souvenirs at deep discounts.

Disney calls their shops by different names so you won’t know at first glance that they are Disney outlets. They have the same items you’ll find in the parks for 40%-90% off retail. So you can pick up your favorite authentic character t-shirts, toys, even collectibles, without getting gouged at the park. Orlando Premium Outlets International Drive, located right near Universal Studios, has a big Disney outlet called Disney’s Character Warehouse. Orlando Premium Outlets Vineland, down the road from Downtown Disney, has a Disney’s Character Premiere store with lots of great merchandise direct from the parks.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios

Universal Studios offers excellent values at their outlet, the Universal Orlando Store at Festival Bay Mall. This is an attractive mall with lots of great restaurants and a luxurious movie theater, located right down the street from the Orlando Premium Outlets International Drive. It is just about a five minute drive from Universal Studios. They often run EXTRA 50% off sales so you can get anything in the store for half-off the lowest price.  Universal also has clearance stores in both Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios, both are located directly to the right of the main park exits. They offer park merchandise at a discount of 50% or more.

Check out these Orlando outlet stores and next time you’re looking for theme park souvenirs, you’ll get much more for your money.

This new outlet mall is on the former site of a Belz outlet, which was tired, run-down and frankly full of junk.  But it has been re-imagined into a serious mecca for designer bargains, and is now called St. Augustine Outlets.

The main draw for this outlet center is the Gucci Outlet store, one of only 8 in the U.S., and the only one in Florida. This store offers new, authentic Gucci merchandise, at prices of about 50% off retail.

If you’re a Gucci fanatic or need to buy a gift for one, this is the place to go. They have an ever-changing assortment of Gucci handbags, men’s and women’s clothing, accessories, shoes, luggage, and more. There are plenty of things to drool over and dream, or splurge and treat yourself!

The rest of the outlet mall is full of hot designer names as well, with new stores continuing to open each month. The discounts at this outlet center tend to be very good, and all of the stores have great selections to choose from.  The Saks Fifth Avenue Off Fifth is especially good, with a large clearance section that’s frequently marked an extra 50% off.

I’ve also made some great finds at the Kate Spade outlet, it’s worth checking out their clearance tables since some of the fine leather wallets and handbags are deeply discounted. I’ve found nice leather wallets for about $39 at this store, and purses for under $100.  If you’re in the market for leather handbags and accessories, be sure to also check out the Michael Kors, Kenneth Cole, and Dooney & Bourke outlets.

If you’re on the way to, or home from Walt Disney World, this outlet mall is the perfect place to stock up on souvenirs and gifts from the theme parks. Compared to the two Orlando Disney outlets, this store has a MUCH better selection and lower prices.

They have clothing featuring any and all Disney characters and rides, Disney Cruise line logo items, and plenty of Disney toys, all marked 50% to 90% lower than in the theme parks.  You’ll even find limited edition Disney merchandise like Giuseppe Armani and Lenox collectible figures, watches, and pin sets.

Next time you’re planning a trip on I-95 in northwest Florida, be sure to fit in a stop at the St. Augustine Outlets on the East side of the interstate. And if that doesn’t satisfy your bargain shopping cravings, there’s another outlet mall, Premium Outlets, right across the street!

The Silver Sands Outlet Mall in Destin is one of my favorite shopping spots for many reasons, but the most wonderful one is location. It’s right across the street from the gorgeous Emerald Coast, so close that you can smell the sea air while you’re shopping.  A trip to Destin is the ultimate way to combine my three passions- shopping, gelato and beach trips!

Even without the beachside setting, this Florida outlet mall has a lot to recommend it. There is a good selection of over 100 outlets, with an excellent mixture of high-end designers and mid-priced retailers.  And Silver Sands Outlets makes it easy to enjoy a shopping day with the family, with convenient parking and a very cool playground for the kids!

Must-Visit Shops

In addition to the outlet staples like Nike, Reebok, Gap, Banana Republic, they have some of the harder to find shops. The Juicy Couture, Tumi, and Michael Kors outlets are popular new additions to the center. They also have a Bare Escentuals outlet: this is the company that makes the amazing Bare Minerals makeup, and they offer some great deals here.

The Coach store is always popular, and the Destin location is stocked with many items from the full-price stores at serious markdowns. If you’re looking for watches, make sure to check out the Fossil store.   They carry not only Fossil watches but also Michael Kors, Emporio Armani and Burberry timepieces at excellent prices.

Amazing Saks Fifth Avenue Outlet

My favorite Silver Sands store is the Off Fifth Saks Fifth Avenue. It’s HUGE: two full levels of shopping space, and chock-full of designer deals. I’ve visited Off Fifth stores all over the U.S., and this one DEFINITELY offers the best values anywhere.  You can score some especially great bargains if you go in the wintertime.  Winter is the off-season for Destin, so the merchandise doesn’t move as quickly and therefore gets seriously discounted. They have a high-end designer section where I’ve bought a Giuseppe Armani jacket, a Burberry skirt, a Valentino dress, and some St. John dress pants, all for under $50 each. It’s really worth your while to dig through all of the clearance racks, especially when they are marked an extra 50% off, because the markdowns are really extreme at this store, and you can get unheard-of deals on some great wardrobe pieces.

Best Outlet Mall Food Anywhere!

If you’re shopping at Silver Sands Outlet Mall, be sure to stop in for lunch or a snack at San Gelato Cafe. This chic little eatery serves delicious panini sandwiches, salads, and coffee drinks. But the real draw is their handmade gelato, and it’s the real thing, just like you get in Italy. Real gelato can be very hard to find in Florida, and an outlet mall is the last place I’d expect to track it down, but here it is, and it’s amazing!  And one more tip- be sure to go online to the Silver Sands Outlet Mall website before your trip to print out a voucher for a free coupon book. There’s some great coupons in there to make your shopping score in Destin even better!

SCOPE IT OUT FIRST

If you’re planning to shop at a Florida outlet mall on Black Friday, I highly recommend that you visit it first. Get the lay of the land, and find out where the stores are that you want to shop at, so you can try to park nearby. Check out the merchandise at your favorite stores to get a feel for what the normal markdown levels are.  A lot of outlet stores offer the same deals on Black Friday as any other day, so it may not be worth waiting in line for hours.  You should also get on the mailing list for any store you’re really interested in. Usually they’ll sign you up for it at the register when you check out. I’ve done this for all of my favorite stores, so I always get lots of great coupons in my email and mailbox.

KNOW THE REAL DEALS

I’ve found that many times the day-after-Thanksgiving discounts are just about a 10% improvement over the usual outlet deals. The big difference on Black Friday is that stores often are really well stocked with new, exciting merchandise. Coach Factory stores are an example of this, their Black Friday markdowns are usually the same as always.  There are usually hour-long waits just to get into the Coach Factory stores on Black Friday, but they often have new arrivals direct from the front-line stores which are better than the usual outlet-exclusive merchandise.  Come before Black Friday, tour the mall, identify your target stores and map out a plan of attack for the big day.

DON’T BE A DOORBUSTER

Most outlet malls, including the Premium Outlets chain, will open at midnight on Thanksgiving night. I’ve done the midnight thing, and I don’t recommend it. The parking lots and stores get flooded with people, and you’ll probably spend about two hours circling in the lot to get a parking space.  Not fun at all. My rule of thumb is to arrive 3 hours after the mall opens. That way, the first batch of people will be done shopping, and their parking spaces will be available!  There’s really no need to arrive right when the mall opens.  Most of the sales go on all day, or at least until noon on Black Friday.  The stores restock throughout the night and day, so you really won’t miss out on anything by not being first in line.

COME PREPARED

It’s going to be crowded and exhausting, and you’re probably going to have to park REALLY far away from the stores. Plus, it’s dark outside, so there’s really no need to wear fabulous shoes.  If there’s any occasion that calls for comfortable footwear, this is it!  You may also want to bring a baby stroller or wheeled luggage to carry your finds so you don’t have to waste time walking your shopping bags back to the car over and over.  When you first get to the mall, pick up a Black Friday sale flyer, usually displayed at the entrances and map stands. This will show you what kinds of deals the stores are offering and when the specials end, so that you can prioritize your shopping time.

PICK THE BEST ONE

I’ve done Black Friday at every outlet mall in Florida. If you have a choice of where to go, and you want some serious bargains, my favorite Black Friday outlet mall in Florida is the Silver Sands in Destin.  This Florida panhandle town is off-season in the fall, so the crowds are much lighter than the usual suspects in Orlando, Ft. Myers, Sarasota and Miami.  The deals are better too, since the fall merchandise doesn’t sell as quickly, so it has a chance to get marked down much further. The Off Fifth Saks Fifth Avenue at this mall is amazing. Every time I’ve shopped there, I’ve found incredible markdowns on major designer pieces. Orlando’s two Premium Outlets, the Vineland and International Drive locations, offer some great deals, but the crowds are always really overwhelming.

HAVE FUN!

Remember, you don’t have to get all of your holiday shopping done all in one day.  There will be great deals all throughout the month of December, sometimes even better than Black Friday. If you focus on picking up a few amazing deals at the stores that are offering truly special discounts, you can return home triumphant and return to shop another day! Scope it out, make a plan, come prepared, and enjoy the shopportunity- I’ll see you there!