Best for holiday shopping? Outlets vs. Tysons

Outlet malls are the best place to shop this holiday season.
They are family friendly and the overall environment is less rushed and stressed.
Their bargain prices are often marked down even more for the holidays.
Outlet malls offer designer and well known brands of merchandise, which ensures the quality of the items.
Also, besides offering last year’s designs and styles, many of them stock special exclusive items.
A common misconception about outlet malls is that they only carry clothes. However, most outlets have a variety of electronics, home goods and sports stores.
Leesburg Outlet, which is the closest in the area, contains gift stores not found in Tysons such as Vitamin World and The Cosmetics Company Store.
One negative thing about outlet malls is that they are open air and during the winter it can be cold and snowy or rainy.
Shoppers must plan their outlet mall trips in accordance with the weather.

Tysons is overcrowded during the holidays, causing not only long lines and difficulty finding parking, but also an unsafe environment, especially for young kids who can easily get lost.
While Tysons may seem like the most convenient place to shop during the holiday season, it should be avoided; with the crowds it contains, it is just not worth it.
The shoppers at Tysons are not always focused on shopping.
Crowds of annoying middle school students add to the traffic and congestion.
Tysons is so popular a location that the prices get marked up. Vendors put extra pressure on shoppers during this season, causing a high stress environment.
Also, Tysons is so large of a mall that it is hard to walk from one end to the other. Each floor is a mile and a half long.
This makes it hard to meet friends or get together with a group there. Unlike most malls of its size, it does not contain many multiple locations of stores.