Discover the shopper’s paradise that is Manchester, Vermont

The Polo Ralph Lauren outlet.

MANCHESTER, VERMONT – For many Montrealers, when they think of doing some cross-border outlet shopping for quality merchandise at deep discount prices, the first place that comes to mind is North Conway, New Hampshire.

However, for more than 30 years, the town of Manchester, Vermont (just four hours south of Montreal) is a picturesque town neatly tucked into the Green Mountains that houses a well kept secret in the world of outlet shopping that should no longer be kept a secret.

The interior of the Eileen Fisher outlet.

Manchester is the home of the Manchester Designer Outlets (MDO, www.manchesterdesigneroutlets.com), which encompasses 150,000 square feet of shopping space in the heart of the town’s centre, and boasts 38 top name designer stores offering the finest in designer fashions, luxury home furnishings, gifts and stylish accessories, in which bargain hunters can benefit from savings of up to 70% off the original retail price. And what high end and popular retailers have made the Manchester Designer Outlets their home? There’s Polo Ralph Lauren, Eddie Bauer, Yankee Candle, Armani, J. Crew, Kate Spade, Michael Kors, Brooks Brothers and New Balance, to name a few.

And most recently, a new addition was opened to the MDO complex called the Marble Mill, which added 20,000 more square feet of shopping space, housed four new outlet stores (New Balance, Eddie Bauer, Armani and Eileen Fisher) and includes a 4,500 square foot exterior center court that is used by shoppers as a rest spot, as well as for various special events and ceremonies.

The new Eddie Bauer and New Balance outlets

What is so striking about the MDO is that the exterior design of each outlet store does not resemble the typical box store look that you would see in a typical suburban shopping mall. Each store is housed in a structure designed by Vermont architects that reflect the architectural style of New England houses that go back about 200 years, which combines New York City-style shopping with New England historical charm.

And besides the rustic small town beauty that surrounds the Manchester Design Outlets, the added attraction for shoppers is that there is no sales tax at all on all clothing that is purchased there. For example, during my weekend stay in Manchester earlier this summer, I took advantage of what some of those outlets had to offer. I bought three articles of clothing at Eddie Bauer that would have cost $90 plus taxes, and spent only $45; and at the Polo Ralph Lauren outlet, I bought a Polo dress shirt for only $20, in which the retail price was $69. My total savings was $104 USD.

The Manchester Designer Outlets was the brainchild of Ben and Lana Hauben, who were originally from New York City. They began to spend their weekends in East Arlington, Vermont in the late 70s and Ben, who survived Stalinist Russia and Nazi Germany and immigrated to New York in 1949, and established himself as a major footwear manufacturer and real estate developer, had a knack for restoring historic properties and began to see the potential in Manchester as a town that would be attractive for tourists and shoppers. In 1983, he and Lana opened the Manchester Design Outlets, with Polo Ralph Lauren as its first tenant.

“Originally, outlet stores were a place where retailers would get rid of their returns. We decided it had to take a brave soul to make these outlet stores have a New York City feel to them,” said Lana. “We wanted to give these stores a look to them similar to having your friends coming to see your house. So after the Polo store opened, we went to a lot of other clothing retail companies and invited them to come up to Manchester and see for themselves what we had to offer. And with a little luck and never letting up, many of these companies came to Manchester and set up shop here.”

“The outlets in Manchester are never going to be like a Target store, because the outlets, along with the activities and culture, make going to Manchester a complete shopping and vacation experience,” she added.

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And once you’re finished your day of shopping at the Manchester Designer Outlets, spend overnight at one of the town’s many charming bed and breakfast inns. The one I chose to spend the night at was the Inn at Manchester (www.innatmanchester.com), which is located within walking distance of the outlets.

In my travels, I have always stayed in a major chain hotel and never in a bed and breakfast; however, after my stay at the Inn at Manchester, I can see why they are so integral to the New England landscape and its tourist industry. The house was originally built in 1889 and became an inn in the 1940s (it became known as the Inn at Manchester in 1978). The inn has 21 guest rooms and deluxe suites, in which each room has its own name, design and character to it (and complete with the typical hotel amenities). Breakfast alternates between egg dishes and their signature pancakes, and for those who like a between meals nosh, the inn offers a guest pantry in the kitchen with a varied selection of snacks and goodies to choose from around the clock. And if you enjoyed your stay there (like myself), the inn also offers a line of Inn at Manchester merchandise for purchase such as coffee mugs, polo shirts and handmade bed linen sets that are similar to the ones that are used on the beds of each guest room.

Exterior of the Inn at Manchster bed & breakfast.

And the down home friendly service that’s offered to every guest at the inn is reflected in its current owners, the amiable husband and wife team of Frank and Julie Hanes, who bought the inn 10 years ago and moved to Manchester from their home in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, where Frank worked for a textile company.

“Frank always told me that he wanted to be in the hospitality business. So when he accepted a retirement package from the textile company after 22 years there, we decided that if we were to go into the hospitality business, let’s do it now,” said Julie. “We love the community here in Manchester and we love taking care of our guests and make them happy and get to know them.”

Besides the spacious guest rooms and suites, as well as the large, comfortable lounges and parlors, the Inn at Manchester also offers a bit of home with its resident pet dog, who is Chai, the not-so-miniature poodle who is always seen wandering around the inn and treating the guests as if they were part of the family.

“Chai is definitely a part of the business. In fact, he is on the payroll,” said Julie. “The guests also like to feed Chai at breakfast time. It got to the point that he was getting too big, and we had to place signs on each table that say not to feed him anymore.”

The Hanes’ love of running the Inn at Manchester has not only reflected in the high rate of repeat visitors and referrals they get every year (including a large number of visitors from Montreal, Quebec City and Toronto), it has also been reflected in their inclusion as one of the 13 Vermont-based inns to be part of the Select Registry, an annual guide of chosen inns and bed and breakfasts across the U.S. that’s comparable to being selected for the Zagat restaurant guide.

And Julie states that their love of the New England lifestyle in Manchester, and of running the inn (along with their youngest daughter Alice) has prompted them to expand the inn with the construction of the Celebration Barn, a 2,500 square foot facility that’s being built adjacent to the inn that will offer residents and visitors a place to hold celebrations and special events throughout the year; the barn is slated to be completed by this October.

“We love Manchester. There’s always something to do here. And we also love the fact that we get four great seasons here, not to mention the lovely scenery.”