Ultra Outlets of Medford

Ultra Outlets of Medford is an outlet shopping center in Medford, Minnesota, approximately 55 miles south of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. The property opened in 1991 under the name Medford Outlet Center and was described as the first outlet center to open in Minnesota. It began with 29 stores and subsequently expanded to approximately 54 stores, supported by two anchor locations positioned at the entrance. The center has operated through several naming and ownership phases. For a period it was known as Preferred Outlets of Medford, before returning to its original Medford Outlet Center name in 2011. In 2016, the property was sold to Ultra Outlets USA, a Columbus, Ohio-based company, and was renamed Ultra Outlets of Medford. The new ownership announced or undertook plans involving improvements to the center's infrastructure, appearance, and visitor functionality, including parking-lot repaving, a revised traffic configuration, and free public Wi-Fi. At various points in its history, the tenant mix included nationally recognized outlet and specialty retailers such as Coach, Liz Claiborne, Levi's, Nike, Gap, Reebok, Harry & David, Toys "R" Us, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Bath & Body Works, Maurices, and Famous Footwear. The center also included local businesses, giving it a combination of national outlet tenants and smaller independent operators. The property's later performance reflected broader structural pressures affecting traditional outlet retail. The growth of online shopping changed how consumers purchased apparel, footwear, accessories, and household goods. The center also faced competition from newer outlet destinations closer to the Twin Cities, including Albertville Premium Outlets and Twin Cities Premium Outlets in Eagan. These competing locations reduced traffic from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul market, which had previously been an important source of visitors. Beginning around 2015, the center reportedly lost a substantial number of national and regional tenants. By the early 2020s, its occupancy had declined to roughly a dozen stores, and the property was characterized in reference coverage as a dead or substantially weakened mall. The COVID-19 pandemic added further pressure to in-person retail and tenant operations. Although Ultra Outlets of Medford remains a named retail property, its later history is primarily one of contraction from a large regional outlet destination to a much smaller local shopping center.

Ultra Outlets of Medford began in 1991 as the Medford Outlet Center in Medford, Minnesota. Its opening was notable because it was identified as Minnesota's first outlet center. The original development contained 29 stores and later grew to about 54 stores, with two anchor locations at the entrance. Its location south of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area allowed it to draw both local shoppers and visitors traveling from the Twin Cities. During its stronger operating period, the property offered a broad outlet-oriented tenant mix. National brands represented at the center over time included Coach, Liz Claiborne, Levi's, Nike, Gap, Reebok, Harry & David, Toys "R" Us, Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Bath & Body Works, Maurices, and Famous Footwear. Local businesses also occupied space, making the center more than a single-brand retail destination. The range of tenants covered apparel, shoes, accessories, beauty products, gifts, toys, and related consumer goods. The property experienced a naming transition before its present identity. For a limited period, it operated as Preferred Outlets of Medford. In 2011, it returned to the Medford Outlet Center name. In 2016, Ultra Outlets USA, a company based in Columbus, Ohio, purchased the property for a reported $2.3 million and rebranded it Ultra Outlets of Medford. The new ownership proposed improvements intended to make the site more functional and attractive, including parking-lot repaving, a new traffic arrangement, and free public Wi-Fi. Reference coverage indicates that the planned improvements did not fully deliver the expected commercial turnaround and that the owners incurred substantial losses on the investment. The center's decline followed a combination of industry and local-market factors. Online shopping reduced the importance of destination outlet trips and made it easier for consumers to compare prices and purchase branded merchandise without visiting a physical center. The property also faced competition from Albertville Premium Outlets and Twin Cities Premium Outlets in Eagan, both of which were more closely connected to the Twin Cities market. As those destinations attracted regional shoppers, Ultra Outlets of Medford lost some of the traffic that had supported its larger tenant base. From approximately 2015 onward, the property lost many national and regional tenants. The remaining stores reportedly fell to about a dozen by the early 2020s. The COVID-19 pandemic intensified the difficulties facing the center by disrupting physical retail, reducing travel, and placing additional strain on already vulnerable tenants. Coverage consequently described the property as a dead or substantially underoccupied mall, rather than the major regional outlet destination it had once been. Ultra Outlets of Medford therefore represents both an early milestone in Minnesota outlet retail and the challenges faced by aging outlet centers. Its history includes an initially rapid expansion, multiple identity changes, a later ownership transition, attempts at physical and technological upgrades, and a long contraction in occupancy. It remains associated with the Medford retail property, but publicly available reference material does not establish a large current national-brand network, a current executive roster, or a detailed present-day operating program.

• 2022

  Property value reported at approximately $1.2 million

  [1]Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org

  Reference coverage reports that property records placed the value at about $1.2 million, roughly half the reported 2016 purchase price.

• 2016

  Ultra Outlets USA acquires and rebrands the center

  [1]Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org

  Ultra Outlets USA purchases the property and renames it Ultra Outlets of Medford.

• 2011

  Name reverts from Preferred Outlets of Medford

  [1]Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org

  After a brief period under the Preferred Outlets of Medford name, the center returns to its original Medford Outlet Center identity.

• 1991

  Medford Outlet Center opens

  [1]Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org

  The center opens with 29 stores and becomes Minnesota's first outlet center.

• Center expands to approximately 54 stores

  [1]Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org

  The property grows from its original 29 stores to approximately 54 stores and operates with two entrance anchor locations.

A regional outlet-shopping destination serving southern Minnesota and, historically, visitors from the Minneapolis–Saint Paul area, with a mix of discounted national-brand merchandise and local retail businesses.

• Apparel · 1991

  National-brand outlet apparel

  The center historically hosted outlet and factory-store retailers selling discounted clothing from brands such as Old Navy, Eddie Bauer, Gap, Coach, Liz Claiborne, Levi's, and Reebok. The category formed a central part of the property's original regional outlet proposition.

• Footwear and accessories · 1991

  Footwear and fashion accessories

  Footwear and accessory retail expanded the center beyond clothing. Historical tenants included Nike, Famous Footwear, and other branded retailers, offering shoes, athletic products, bags, and related fashion merchandise in an outlet-shopping format.

• Specialty retail · 1991

  Beauty, gifts, toys, and lifestyle goods

  The tenant mix also included specialty categories such as beauty and personal care through Bath & Body Works, gifts and food products through Harry & David, and toys through Toys "R" Us. Local businesses added further variety to the center's retail offer.

• 2016

  Acquisition by Ultra Outlets USAM&A

  Background

  The outlet center was experiencing the competitive pressures affecting older regional outlet properties, including changing consumer behavior and competition from newer Twin Cities-area outlet destinations.

  Action taken

  Ultra Outlets USA acquired the property and changed its name to Ultra Outlets of Medford.

  Aftermath

  The new ownership pursued physical, traffic-flow, and connectivity improvements, but the center continued to lose major tenants and later operated with a much smaller store base.

  Reported acquisition price. 2300000 USD (2016)

  Source

• 2016

  Infrastructure and visitor-experience improvement planStrategy

  Background

  Following the acquisition and rebranding, the owners sought to improve the site's functionality and make the aging outlet center more attractive to shoppers.

  Action taken

  Planned or reported measures included repaving the parking lot, changing the parking and traffic configuration, and adding free public Wi-Fi.

  Aftermath

  Reference coverage states that the improvements did not produce the expected turnaround and that the owners subsequently lost substantial money on the investment.

  Source

1. 1Ultra Outlets of Medforden.wikipedia.org