Anybody ever been to Mitsui Outlet Park in Linkou?
Are the prices any good? Wondering if it’s worth the visit as it’s a bit of a trip from Taipei.
Anybody ever been to Mitsui Outlet Park in Linkou?
Are the prices any good? Wondering if it’s worth the visit as it’s a bit of a trip from Taipei.
There are some high-end merchants, one book store (Eslite), some fancy restaurants (one branch of an expensive restaurant that occupy 90th floor of Taipei 101, Green Leaf or something in Chinese), some sports/casual clothing brands.
How to get there, 936 or 937 from Yuanshan MRT station.
Or… you wait a month or so, using soon-to-be opened Airport MRT from Taipei Main Station.
A typical shopping mall, with outdoor concept.
Any idea on the prices?
I’ve noticed a couple of trends in North American “outlet malls” over the past several years.
First, there’s been a gradual raising of prices to non-outlet levels, a trend that, in California at least, seems to be targeted at rich Asian tourists. At outlets in California, Chinese, Japanese and Korean tourists arrive by the busload all day long. The stuff they’re buying isn’t cheap by American standards, but probably a lot cheaper than what they’re paying at home, especially for luxury goods.
Second, a lot of retailers are producing crappy product lines exclusively for sale at their outlets. Consumers think they’re getting bargains, but they’re actually just getting cheap, crappy versions of companies’ regular product lines.
I haven’t been to the Mitsui place yet, but I assume they’re probably capitalizing on these trends. The fact that it’s on the airport MRT line would seem to support this theory.
And while we’re on the subject, could somebody please explain to me the Taiwanese fascination with A&F/Hollister clothing? To me, this is one of life’s great mysteries.
You need to get a life if that’s one of your life’s great mysteries.
Nowadays I see less and less locals wearing A&F/Hollister. Also many of the stores in the US are closing up. A few months back when I visited the mall in the US, I saw China shoppers still walking out with boatloads of A&F clothing.
Were there talks about opening a A&F here in Taipei? H&M and Zara had a better marketing strategy in TW are I don’t seem those brand fading like A&F.
I was being ironic, but it seems like everywhere I turn I see some random middle-aged dude rocking a Hollister T-shirt designed specifically for the 14-18 demographic. Like they say, the clothes make the man. Of course, I’ve been guilty of similar fashion faux pas myself.
I think it is status. It shows that they have money to travel to places where it’s sold or they have friends who can travel there.
But back on subject. The web site has a list of the stores (https://www.mop.com.tw/linkou/en/shopguide_map.html).
There’s a North Face, Timberland, and Columbia stores there. Was thinking of getting some new hiking boots if the prices were good.
Man, I was the happiest at the outlet malls in Maryland. We swiped 500 usd in Costco alone. Got my favorite black Timberland boots for like a thousand ntd -her ethey are 4000 ntd at least.
Funniest part was getting Timberland socks… made in Taiwan. In Taiwan, they only sell the ones made in China.
Second funniest: found the place thanks to a Chinese language book guide, which was accurate to the millisecond as to which train/bus connection to take, schedules, amenities, etc. Better than any English language site. Hence, I always buy Taiwan guides to travel places. They are the best for shopping.
I’m sure that’s a good part of it, but why A&F/Hollister specifically? I think there’s something deeper going on here. Maybe there’s something archetypal about the moose head logo?
Well it’s a nice mall, half outside, half inside. Lots of Japanese style restaurants and food court. Looked good, but didn’t get any. Not too crowded, even by American standards.
Prices seem comparable with the US outlets, though maybe 10 percent higher for what I looked at. Rather buy back home, but if I needed something I would buy there.
Though if you are a man with shoe size larger than US size 10, you may have trouble finding shoes, as some stores had none above that size and some had very few.
Spent the morning there.
MITSUI OUTLET PARK Linkou mall has a lot of common stores and some not so common stores. Have Starbucks, Gordon Biersch, a movie with 4D theater and within walking distance of another movie theater, the second floor is mostly restaurants and the food court has an okay view of trees. Seems to be a regular mall but with some outlet shops. I can’t really say clothes and shoes are cheaper but the Nike store for example has a lot of the ugliest shoes in stock and prices are not cheap. I can find cheaper in neighborhood stores. Half of the mall is climate-controlled indoors and the other half is outside. Pretty good place to hang out when it’s raining or bad weather. Plenty of parking and walking distance of MRT station.
I’m curious about the Kuaaina Hawaiian burger place.
I’m curious about the Kuaaina Hawaiian burger place.
Had a burger there about a year ago, wasn’t bad but nothing to write home.
Same. I don’t really remember much of the experience, which by itself already means a lot.
Had a burger there about a year ago, wasn’t bad but nothing to write home.
Had another burger there today, downgrade to a “fairly crap won’t be back”. They’ve obviously done some cost cutting along with increasing prices. Burger meat looks like something that came frozen in a box. Do not fall for the “fruit juices” as I did, they’re stupidly expensive for a dash of some sort of flavored syrup in the bottom of a plastic cup of soda water, go for the unlimited soda’s instead if you must eat there.
I know exactly such to which restaurant you went.
I had the same experience…
I remember this place got a mention in the best damned burger thread. Guess it’s no longer the best.
The same with Kaneko Hannosuke rice bowls in the food court. The long line is no more and the portions have gotten smaller.