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Community Corner

Frugal Family: Outlets

Gettysburg and Leesburg offer savings for those willing to travel.

For families looking to save some cash on spring and summer clothing and other items, a road trip up north could be a good idea.

Perhaps the best thing going for The Outlet Shops at Gettysburg, located just north of Frederick County off U.S. Route 15 in Pennsylvania, is the tax-free shopping on clothes and other necessities. So, not only will you save money via the outlet shops’ sales and promotions, but you’ll also keep a few dollars that you’d normally be giving to Uncle Sam.

The Gettysburg outlets offer a small strip-mall-like shopping experience. You can cover the entire center in a short period of time, with minimal walking. Ample parking is available right in front of many stores, or just a few steps away, in front or behind the center.

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Right now, many stores are offering special promotions, coupons or sales to attract frugal shoppers, including:

  • Old Navy Outlet and GAP Outlet: the sister shops are offering 30 percent off with the Give and Get program; also a portion of sales will go to charity
  • Levi’s: the apparel store is offering a Spring Break Sale, with special prices on shorts for men and women and capri pants for women, as well as on T-shirts
  • Osh Kosh B’Gosh: the children’s apparel shop is offering a printable coupon on the outlet’s website, good for 20 percent off a $50 purchase
  • Lane Bryant: the plus-size women’s clothing store is offering 30 percent off everything in the store
  • Carter’s: the children’s clothing store is offering a printable coupon on the outlet’s website, for 20 percent off a $40 purchase
  • Dress Barn: the women’s apparel store is offering $10 off when you purchase two dresses

Gettysburg offers a good variety of shops, particularly with men’s and women’s apparel and children’s clothing. American Eagle, Aeropostale, Jones New York, Justice, The Children’s Place, Gymboree and Eddie Bauer are available, in addition to the other shops mentioned above. This summer, Under Armour plans to open there as well.

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The outlet stores are open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays. To learn more, or to print out coupons, go to http://horizongroup.com/our-centers/gettysburg/.

For frugal families seeking a more extensive shopping experience with a wider variety of stores, a trip south may be in order, to Leesburg Corner Premium Outlets in Virginia.

The center’s more than 110 stores offer a large variety of more upscale stores, grouped in a more mall-like maze than Gettysburg. In Virginia, though, you will have to pay tax on your purchases.

Right now, many of Leesburg’s outlets are offering special promotions, including:

  • Banana Republic Factory Store: the men’s and women’s clothing store offers 50 percent off all women’s dresses, skirts, and men’s dress shirts
  • Converse: the sneaker and apparel shop is offering special prices on shorts and T-shirts
  • Juicy Couture: the apparel store is offering 30 percent off all full-price tracksuits
  • Le Creuset: the upscale kitchen supply shop is offering 25 to 30 percent discounts on cast-iron cookware and other items
  • Pottery Barn Outlet: the home goods supply store is offering 50 percent off all wall art, 40 percent off all bath and task lighting, 20 percent off all rugs and rug pads, among other special offers
  • Talbots: the clothier is offering 20 percent off all purchases and an additional 40 percent off all markdowns.

Leesburg Premium Outlets lives up to its name. It has a good variety of stores from clothing to undergarments to shoes, accessories, home goods and more.

Plenty of parking is available at all corners of the center, and eatery options abound. You’ll have to do a bit more walking and plan to spend a lot more time at this center, as the stores are more spread out and parking is not as close to the stores as at Gettysburg.

The Leesburg outlet stores are open 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday to Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays. To learn more about the outlet center, go online to www.premiumoutlets.com.

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