LOVELAND – Rocky Mountain Factory Stores in Loveland is on a very fast track.After three years, the outlet mall boasts 82 stores, 335,000 square feet – including a 25,000-square-foot addition in May 1996, and excluding external restaurant pad space – and is running at full capacity, said property manager Peggy Ziglin.
“We are maxed out, 100 percent leased,” Ziglin said.
The most recent additions include Liz Claiborne, Magnavox, American Outpost and Casual Male Big & Tall.
Ziglin attributes the success of the outlet mall to parent company J M J Properties of Muskegon, Mich.
“J M J properties has the best leasing team I’ve met in my career,´ said Ziglin, who previously had spent a number of years with the May Co. “(J M J leasing agents) have such passion in their work. They don’t just put anyone in this mall. I have never been part of a mall that is 100 percent leased.”
Consider that after a year of opening, Rocky Mountain Factory Stores held 27 tenants. The number increased to 39 stores by November 1994. Within six months, that number would more than double.
“We are the fastest-growing mall in this area,” she said.
Ziglin said that with the addition of premier stores such as Bose Stereos and the only Spiegel outlet store in Colorado, it gave people from Denver, Kansas and Wyoming a reason to come to their stores.
“We’ve got the leaders in the industry … We do whatever we can to drive traffic to these malls.”
The efforts of Rocky Mountain Factory Stores has won it two national awards in 1996 in competition with more than 500 other outlet malls in the country.
Ziglin said it has been the way they work with tenants and get involved in the community to attract and maintain business that has made them successful.
Incentive programs such as an incremental sales and monthly maintenance-employee recognition cash reward programs are a part of that.
Earlier this year, Rocky Mountain Factory Stores held industry week, where employees of such large corporations as Hewlett-Packard Co., Celestial Seasonings, Monfort Cos. and Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. could come and shop at the stores with a 10 percent discount from all their purchases.
The outlet mall also participates in a Salute to Schools program, where area college students and faculty are offered discounts to shop. Ziglin said they have a Student, Wall where advertising students get to work on ad campaigns and adorn a wall with slogans and their ideas.
The mall’s biggest challenge is coming up with promotions for slower times of the year.
Perhaps the only reason the Rocky Mountain Factory Stores have not developed further is that they have “no more land” to do it on.
The original property was purchased from the McWhinney family, and development began three years ago.
But, recently McWhinney Enterprises has shown an interest in building another outlet mall adjacent to Rocky Mountain Factory Stores in Loveland.
Chad McWhinney declined to comment on his company’s plans.
The Loveland Planning Department indicated they and the McWhinneys had discussions about the potential outlet mall but that no plans had been turned into their office. A representative at the city said development plans were not expected until spring.
When asked if another outlet mall right next door to Rocky Mountain Factory Stores would jeopardize their success, Ziglin responded, “Not at all.
“We are not changing anything (we do). We’ll worry about that down the line. We have had a working relationship with the McWhinneys.”
A 100,000-square-foot outlet mall slated for Dacono by Ted Decker of Decker Commercial Realty of Tucson, Ariz., may begin construction this winter.
Decker said a contract has been signed for the mix of outlet malls and entertainment for the 104 acres located at the northeast quadrant of Interstate 25 and Weld County Road 8.
The project intends to include a community center with softball and soccer fields as well as sophisticated sports and electronic technology entertainment.
Decker said it will be a “magnet destination” for tourism and shoppers alike.
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