Bloomingdale's Opens First Outlet Store in Potomac Mills

Popular high-end retail store Bloomingdale's opened its first outlet store in the company's history this morning at Potomac Mills Mall.

Located in neighborhood one of the expansive outlet mall, Bloomingdale's Outlet cozies up against other high-end outlet retailers such as Neiman Marcus, Cole Haan, Nordstrom, Coach and J. Crew.

Bloomingdale's outlet store opened with great fanfare this morning, thanks to an upbeat performance of songs such as "Lean on Me" and "Imagine" from the Urban Nation Hip-Hop Choir of Washington.

Bloomingdale's Director of National Media Relations, Marissa Vitagliano, said that adding the choir to the morning's festivities is something the company tries to do at all openings.

"We always love to bring a bit of animation to the store opening," said Vitagliano.

Prospective customers gathered for the ribbon cutting ceremony, anxious to see the deals from brands like L.A.M.B. and Coach inside.

Betty Browning walks the mall in the morning for exercise and has seen the store develop into what it is today.

"I'm looking forward to a wide variety of stuff rather than a specialty store," said Browning. "I want to be able to just shop at one place and I come here quite a bit."

Among the anxious customers were Board of County Supervisors officials Mike May and 28-year-veteran supervisor John Jenkins' wife, Ernestine.

"I think it is awesome exciting," said Jenkins, who was representing her husband at this morning's event. "You never have to go out of the county now. Five minutes and I am here. I saw this place build up from nothing, I was on the first hard hat tour!"

Senior Vice President of Outlet Stores Arnie Orlick thinks that Potomac Mills is a great home for the company's first outlet store.

"This is the first in the country for us, so it is our most important opening, "said Orlick. "We love this community, we have a full line of Bloomingdale's stores in this area but this is an extension of the brand. We hope to offer these amazing brands at incredible prices."

More high-end outlet retailers, like Lacoste, will be coming to Potomac Mills later this year.  

This is the first outlet store since Bloomingdale's first opened in 1861.