Asheville Outlets Opens in North Carolina

Asheville Outlets in Asheville, North Carolina held its grand opening last week with a series of events, including a “Looks for Less” fashion show hosted by Carson Kressley.

The open-air outlet center, operated by Newton, Mass.-based New England Development, has 75 retailers, including factory stores from Banana Republic, Brooks Brothers, Coach, Cole Haan, Gap, J. Crew, Nike, Tommy Hilfiger and Under Armour.

The center is expected to employ more than 1,000 people and generate $33 million in annual income.

New England Development was founded 35 years ago by Stephen R. Karp. The company says it operates more than 50 million square feet of retail, commercial and residential space, including outlet centers in West Palm Beach, Fla.; Little Rock, Ark.; Des Moines, Iowa; and Clarksburg, Md. The Outlets of Michigan will open in Romulus, Mich. in 2016.