At the I-88 and Farnsworth Avenue interchange in Aurora, Illinois, 35 miles west of downtown Chicago, Chicago Premium Outlets serves the western DuPage and Kane County suburban market as well as the Chicagoland resident who finds the city’s outlet alternatives either more distant or less accessible than the I-88 corridor. Simon Property Group operates the 680,000 square foot open-air property on a two-axis commercial thesis: the western Chicago suburban consumer who values outlet pricing for the accessible luxury and premium sportswear categories, and the Aurora and Fox Valley resident for whom the property functions as a community retail destination rather than a dedicated outlet trip. The F&B and specialty tenant mix reflects the latter: La Michoacana, La Central de Botas, and Lavash Mediterranean Grill serve the substantial Hispanic and Middle Eastern communities in Aurora’s residential base alongside the national outlet food court operators.
The accessible luxury outlet tier runs Armani, BOSS, Coach, Kate Spade, Karl Lagerfeld Paris, Marc Jacobs, Max Mara, Michael Kors, and Polo Ralph Lauren. The fashion register covers the mid-market to premium American brand range: Abercrombie and Fitch, Ann Taylor, Athleta, Banana Republic Factory, Brooks Brothers, Calvin Klein, Cole Haan, Eddie Bauer, Gap, J. Crew, Lacoste, Levi’s, LOFT, Lucky Brand, Old Navy, Tommy Hilfiger, and UGG fill the comparison shopping floor for the western Chicago suburban consumer.
The sportswear outlet register is the property’s strongest commercial layer: Adidas, Columbia, JD Sports, Merrell, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Reebok, The North Face Outlet, Under Armour, and Zumiez provide a full-spectrum athletic and outdoor outlet concentration that exceeds what any standalone sporting goods outlet in the western Chicago corridor offers. Le Creuset Outlet anchors the home goods outlet occasion. Sephora and The Cosmetics Company serve the prestige beauty category. Tumi, Vera Bradley, and Samsonite cover the travel goods and accessories outlet tier.
For expansion teams evaluating the Chicagoland outlet market, Chicago Premium Outlets occupies the western suburban position that Woodfield Mall serves for regular retail and Fashion Outlets of Chicago serves for the urban outlet occasion, without competing directly against either format. The I-88 corridor trade area extends the effective catchment through Naperville, Lisle, and DeKalb into the central Illinois market, and the Aurora community’s population density ensures a resident base that sustains daily visit frequency independent of the outlet trip occasion.
