For some people, Memorial Day means parades and picnics. For bargain hunters it means an extra day to shop.
We’ve got the best weekend outlet destinations for deals.
Before you go, check websites and Facebook and Twitter pages for specials and coupons. If you can’t get all your browsing done in a day, some offer shop-and-stay getaways, complete with deals on lodging at area hotels, coupon books, tote bags and complimentary breakfasts.
- The Prime Outlets ( PrimeOutlets.com ) in Lee, Mass., are a 1 1/2-hour drive from Hartford.
- Wrentham (Mass.) Village ( PremiumOutlets.com ) is 1 hour and 45 minutes away.
- Woodbury Common in New York (also PremiumOutlets.com ) is about two hours away.
- It’ll take you 2 1/2 hours to get to outlets in Secaucus, N.J. ( HarmonMeadow.com ) and less than three hours to get to the Manchester (Vt.) Designer Outlets (ManchesterDesignerOutlets.com ) or Kittery, Maine ( PremiumOutlets.com ).
- A four-hour drive gets you to the outlets in Freeport, Maine ( FreeportUsa.com ).
- Clinton Crossing ( PremiumOutlets.com ) and Westbrook outlets ( TangerOutlets.com ) on the Connecticut shoreline are even closer.
When you do hit the outlets, get the best deals. Research prices before you go! Remember that the MSRP(manufacturers suggested retail price) is just a price set by set by manufacturer and is usually undercut by retailers. MSRP for an item might be $150, but that doesn’t mean it has ever been sold for that anywhere else. Ask if merchandise was produced for the outlet – It may have the designer label, but be of a lower quality.