“Paramus is the capital of shopping centers in North America,” said Bassam Mhich, the center’s general manager. Centers within 1.5 miles include Westfield Garden State Plaza, Paramus Park Mall and The Shops at Riverside in Hackensack.

With that much competition, many would have shuttered the center. But some stores were doing well. Children’s Place had a full-price store at nearby Westfield Garden State Plaza that saw $2 million in sales. A unit in Paramus Park was producing $1.5 million. Bergen Mall’s store, on the other hand, was doing $4.5 million. “What made this was the blend of anchors,” said Edmond Ezra, a Vornado VP and former Children’s Place executive.

But after Vornado Realty Trust acquired Bergen Mall in 2003, it examined how to reposition Bergen Mall as Bergen Town Center. The process was hampered by one major complication that took three years to resolve. “We’re located in three municipalities: Paramus, Maywood and Hackensack,” Mhich explained.

The signing of Century 21, a regional merchant of luxury goods at outlet prices, to replace Macy’s dictated a shift to value orientation. “You had the core of value in the center,” said Ezra. “We built on that.”

Other tenants signed included Saks Off Fifth, Marshalls, Target, Nordstrom Rack, as well as the first Whole Foods in Bergen County in Ridgewood--the last giving the project regular weekly or semi-weekly visitors. Construction began in 2006, and the center reopened in 2008.

But the mall still had specialty space to fill, noted Zucker, a particular challenge in 2008 as lifestyle tenants slowed their expansion. “With the exception of Whole Foods, we have value anchors,” Zucker says. “We had all the makings of a value outlet center. We went ahead and pursued a Nike deal, which was critical in positioning ourselves as a value, though hybrid, outlet center.”

Since Nike’s 2009 opening, other outlet tenants to join the project include Tommy Hilfiger, Bloomingdale’s and Neiman’s Last Call Studio. In fact to accommodate the demand, the project was renamed and rebranded as The Outlets at Bergen Town Center, bringing units outlets from Banana Republic, J. Crew, Chico’s and Jos. A. Bank. “We’re the outlet without the outing,” Ezra said.

One expected challenge--that an outlet would detract from nearby full-price stores, has not materialized, said Barry S. Sturm, director of real estate-factory stores for Guess?, Freehold, NJ. “I haven’t lost business at Garden Sate Plaza and it didn’t seem like it bothered other tenants,” Sturm said. “Our sales are great.”