Outlets

Outdoor equipment and apparel retailer L.L.Bean will close its Hagerstown outlet store on April 30, a spokeswoman said. Public Affairs Manager Carolyn Beem said the company will close the store at Hagerstown Premium Outlets after 10 years of operation despite a successful year companywide. “Closing a store is never an easy decision to make,” she said. “Based on a number of factors it was decided to close this store.” Beem said L.L.Bean is not planning to close any other outlet or retail stores in connection with the Hagerstown closure.

A major women's clothing retailer that specializes in fashion brands for plus-sized customers is closing two of its Hagerstown stores in 2011. Lane Bryant and Fashion Bug, both owned by Charming Shoppes Inc. of Bensalem, Pa., will leave the Valley Mall in the first quarter of 2011, company spokeswoman Ilana Bagell said in a recent e-mail. "The company's decision to close these locations is based on an ongoing process of analyzing the performance of the entire real-estate portfolio," she wrote.

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o If you like reading Tim Rowland, you'll love watching him. See what else Tim has to say I leave town and it's "Prime Outlets. " I come back a week later and it's "Premium Outlets. " You just can't turn your back on the greater Hagerstown area without some sort of major action taking place. That's us, a community on the move. But ... Prime/Premium? Premium/Prime? You can't even spell Premium without p-r-i-m-e. So is there really so much of a difference that you need to make a change?

Prime Outlets Hagerstown has been renamed Hagerstown Premium Outlets following the completion of Prime Outlets' sale to Simon Property Group Inc., a company spokeswoman said. Simon Property Group completed its $2.3 billion acquisition of the Baltimore-based Prime Outlets on Tuesday, adding 21 outlet centers to its outlet division. That division, called Premium Outlets, is the largest collection of outlet centers in the world, with centers throughout the U.S. and in Japan, South Korea and Mexico, said Michele Rothstein, spokeswoman for Premium Outlets.

Liz Claiborne Inc. will close its outlet stores in the United States and Puerto Rico by early 2011, the company said in a press release. The Liz Claiborne store at Prime Outlets at Hagerstown was not mentioned specifically, but the release said all 87 outlet locations would close. With the closing of the outlet stores, Liz Claiborne will launch its clothing line at J.C. Penney next month, the release said. "As a result of this decision, the company expects the meaningful operating losses related to this business to be eliminated in early 2011 when this action is anticipated to be completed," the release said.

HAGERSTOWN -- Four new stores will open or have opened at Prime Outlets - Hagerstown. The company said the four stores are: New York & Co. Outlet, known for its contemporary line of women's clothing and accessories, opened a 3,400-square-foot store next to Timberland on May 14. New Balance, known for its footwear and athletic apparel, is slated to open a 5,600-square-foot store on June 24. Under Armour will open...

HAGERSTOWN -- Simon Property Group said Tuesday it is buying the Prime Outlets shopping centers as part of a transaction valued at about $2.33 billion. Prime Outlets Acquisition Co., a subsidiary of The Lightstone Group of Lakewood, N.J., a real estate company, currently owns Prime Retail. Simon said in a news release it will pay Prime Outlets Acquisition Co. about $700 million for Prime Outlets -- 80 percent in cash and 20 percent in Simon common operating partnership units.