Black Friday Shopping Tips for Albertville Premium Outlets in Minnesota

Typically on Black Friday, stores open at 5 or 6AM. Albertville Premium Outlets, in Albertville, Minnesota is jumping ahead of the competition and opening earlier-at midnight! The Albertville outlet mall has opened early every year since 2006 and I've shopped their Black Friday Midnight Madness sale every year. This can be a crazy event, so you'll need to be prepared. Here are some tips for shopping the Midnight Madness Black Friday sale at Minnesota's Albertville Premium Outlets.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#1 - Eat before you go:
Thanksgiving night is great for snacking on leftovers so be sure to eat something before you leave. Better yet, pack some snacks (leftover turkey, dessert bars) to fit in your purse and fill a thermos with coffee or hot chocolate. There's a Burger King on the premises and it usually opens at midnight for the sale, but the lines are very long. You're in for a long night of shopping and standing around in the cold and you'll need the extra fuel to keep going.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#2 - Make an itinerary before you leave:
This is no leisurely shopping event. It's extremely crowded and you won't be able to stroll leisurely from store-to-store. Most outlet stores will have long lines of people waiting outside to get in and shop. If you're going with a group of people, divide your shopping group up to make sure you hit the stores with the best deals first. The Albertville Premium Outlet mall website will post each store's Black Friday specials a few days before the event. Not all stores will open at midnight - check the website for a list of stores opening at midnight.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#3 - Go early:
I recommend getting to the outlets around 9PM. If you arrive just before midnight, you'll be sitting in traffic on the I-94 exit lane for at least an hour. Get there about 2.5 to 3 hours early to get your parking spot and camp out in front of your first store.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#4 - Park near the last store on your trip:
By the end of your Black Friday shopping excursion, you're going to be tired. Park your car by the last store at which you'll be shopping. Albertville Premium Outlets is huge and you won't want to walk across the mall to find your car.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#5 - Bundle Up!
The Albertville Premium Outlets has over 100 stores arranged in a strip mall-style outdoor setting. With the large crowds, chances are you're going to have to wait in a long line outside at each store to get inside. It's midnight and this is Minnesota - it's going to be cold! Wear your winter jacket, mittens, scarf, and hat. If the weather is extremely cold, you might want to bring hand warmers and a blanket too.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip#6 - Join the VIP Shopper Club:
I know what you're thinking... "Another lousy gimmick I need to register for? No thanks!" But this one is worth it, trust me! Yes, you have to give your valid email address and personal information, but joining is free, the coupons are decent and are for many of the "good" stores, like Gap and Banana Republic. They often have coupons available for Black Friday so make sure to sign up and print coupons before leaving home for extra discounts on top of the Black Friday offers. To join, click here.

Albertville Outlet Mall Black Friday Midnight Madness Tip# 7- Take Note of the Busiest Stores:
In my experience, these stores have the largest crowds and longest lines. If you're planning on visiting these stores, make sure one of these is the one you visit first.

Coach Outlet: This is by far the longest line in which you will wait when shopping the Black Friday sale at the Albertville outlets. The first year I went, my sister and I hit up the Coach store first. We got in line at 12:15AM, entered the store at 1:30AM, and didn't get out until 2:30AM. This wasn't because we were pokey; the line to pay wrapped around the store. If you don't get in line at 9PM, you're in for a very long, cold night.

Other very busy stores are: GAP, Banana Republic Factory Store, Nike, and Ralph Lauren. All of these stores will have long lines, but not nearly as long as the Coach Factory Store.

If you chose to shop the Black Friday Midnight Madness sale at the Albertville Premium Outlets, you better like crowds and traffic! It's crowded, noisy, chaotic, but there are plenty of good deals to be found if you want to get a jump start on your Christmas shopping or are looking for a way to burn off those 4 slices of pumpkin pie you devoured during Thanksgiving dinner!

Albertville Premium Outlets is located in Albertville, Minnesota (about 15 minutes away from Maple Grove/Twin Cities) at 6415 Labeaux Ave NE. Their phone number is 763-497-1911.