From Power Shopping to Place-Making: Tanger’s Stephen Yalof on the New Outlet Experience

For decades, the outlet trip had a familiar rhythm: get in the car, drive beyond the city, hunt for deals and come home with bags full of discounted finds. But that old model is giving way to something more layered. As retailers reinvest in store experiences to give consumers more reasons to visit, outlet centers are being reimagined as open-air destinations where food, wellness, entertainment and discovery sit alongside the promise of value. Tanger’s recent acquisition of The Town Center at Levis Commons in Perrysburg, Ohio — its fourth open-air lifestyle center — puts that strategy into focus. For a company founded in outlet retail 45 years ago, the move signals how Tanger is expanding its portfolio, from refreshed outlet centers to full-price lifestyle destinations.

What happens to the outlet model when shoppers still want value, but also expect food, entertainment, discovery and community?

In this episode of Retail Refined, host Melissa Gonzalez speaks with Stephen Yalof, President and Chief Executive Officer of Tanger. Their conversation explores how Tanger is “lifestyling” its outlet centers, why food, beverage, wellness and entertainment are becoming central to the shopping experience, and how recent acquisitions — including Town Center at Levis Commons in Ohio — reflect Tanger’s broader vision for open-air retail.

What you’ll learn…

Stephen Yalof is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Tanger, where he leads a portfolio of outlet and open-air lifestyle centers across the United States and Canada. He has spent his career at the intersection of retail and real estate, with leadership roles at Simon Premium Outlets, Ralph Lauren and Gap. He also serves as a Trustee of the International Council of Shopping Centers and sits on advisory boards for the Real Estate Roundtable and George Washington University’s Center for Real Estate Studies.

Article written by MarketScale.