Today’s post is sponsored by Great Lakes Crossing Outlets. As a spokesperson for Great Lakes Crossing Outlets, I’m excited to share with you our holiday gift shopping experience! All opinions are my own and you can read Good Life Detroit’s disclaimer policy here.


If you’re looking for last-minute holiday gift ideas, then Great Lakes Crossing Outlets (GLCO) in Auburn Hills is the perfect place to find gifts. Last week, we went to the outlet mall and found great deals at stores like Disney, Nordstrom Rack, and The Children’s Place.

Founded in 1998 by Taubman Centers, Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is Michigan’s largest outlet mall with over 190 stores! All of the stores and most of the restaurants are open for business right now, with restaurants offering carry-out services only. 

We enjoyed our visits to Great Lakes Crossing Outlets! I found some great deals on holiday gifts for the kids (you can read more about the gifts I found below). Michala loved shopping at GLCO so much that she ended up going back for a second visit with her boyfriend. They did some more holiday shopping and she also found great deals at her favorite fashion stores. 

SNEAK PEEK: I bought matching Christmas pajamas for my little ones for holiday photos. The holiday pajamas are 50% off at The Children’s Place at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets!
SNEAK PEEK: I bought matching Christmas pajamas for my little ones for holiday photos. The holiday pajamas are 50% off at The Children’s Place at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets!

There were many families shopping for holiday gifts for their loved ones. The mall wasn’t too crowded and we didn’t have long wait times when standing in line to check out. But my most favorite part about our holiday shopping experience was finding great deals on gifts for my family!

FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR SHOPPING TRIP AT GLCO:

  • finding budget-friendly deals on holiday gifts
  • a breastfeeding room so I could nurse Zaya
  • clean restrooms
  • a variety of brands and vendors to find unique gifts
  • COVID-19 health and safety measures implemented throughout the mall
  • strollers and shopping carts available for a convenient shopping experience

GREAT LAKES CROSSING OUTLETS’ COVID-19 HEALTH & SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

Having concerns about shopping in public spaces during this time is very understandable. We felt comfortable visiting Great Lakes Crossing Outlets and I was satisfied with the health and safety precautions the mall implemented.

Face masks are, of course, required inside of the mall and every store. Each store we visited followed health and safety precautions, too. Some stores, such as the Disney Outlet Store, reduce the number of customers they have in the store to ensure safe, social distancing.

Other social distancing precautions you will find at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets are:

  • signage and floor decals to help customers practice social distancing
  • hand sanitizer stations located in the stores and throughout the mall
  • drinking fountains turned off
  • sanitation wipes for strollers (as supplies last)
  • closed play areas
  • closed seating at the food court

Read the graphic below to learn more about how GLCO is working hard to keep mall visitors safe.

LAST-MINUTE HOLIDAY GIFT IDEAS AT GREAT LAKES CROSSING OUTLETS

Disney Outlet

Did you know the Disney Outlet Store at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is the only Disney Store (outlet or non-outlet regular priced store) in all of Michigan?! When I took the girls to visit Santa George last week, we stopped by the Disney store to find Christmas gifts for Zechariah and Zephaniah. Zhen has always wanted to go to a Disney store so she was really excited to visit for the first time! 

Right now, the Disney Outlet Store is running its Magical Deals sale. Almost everything in the entire store is on sale! We found Disney plush dolls for $8 to $10 and Toy Story interactive action figures for just $25. Most of the clothing is also on sale, including the Disney costumes. 

Zhen and Michala picked out a medium-size Mickey Mouse and Rex the Dinosaur (Toy Story) plush dolls for the boys’ Christmas gifts. I secretly bought the girls a Lady (Lady and the Tramp) and the Cheshire Cat (Alice in Wonderland) for part of their Christmas gifts. Since Disney also sells reusable bags for a very low fee, I was able to hide their gifts at the bottom of the bag. 

Nordstrom Rack

I was really excited to discover Great Lakes Crossing Outlets has a Nordstrom Rack now. I love Nordstrom Rack because you can always find great discounts on name-brand clothing, makeup, and accessories. A few good deals we found at the Nordstrom outlet store were winter coats for under $100, perfume and cologne for under $50, and home decor for under $30. 

The other day, I went back to Great Lakes Crossing Outlets for a second visit so I could find gifts for Elijah and Michala. The little ones helped me pick out their big brother and big sister’s gifts and I think they found some cool ideas. Here’s what we got them:

Elijah: long sleeve shirt for under $15, cologne for under $20, and a cool Spiderman wallet for under $20 (Spiderman is his favorite Marvel character)

Michala: a cute, retro Caboodle for under $10, Ariana Grande perfume for under $25, and a hot pink blouse for under $10

I also spotted a few great stocking stuffer ideas for under $15 at Nordstrom Rack. Fuzzy socks, MAC and NYX makeup, body lotion, tech products, and mini, scented candles. 

Here are a few other great holiday deals you can find at Nordstrom Rack:

Clear the Rack: take an extra 25% off clearance (sale dates 12/26 – 1/2)

Home Decor sale: 25% off regular-priced bedding and bath (sale dates 12/26 – 1/20)

Genius Deal: Take $5 off your in-store purchase of $50 or more and $5 off your online purchase of $50 or more with the new Nordstrom Rack app.

The Children’s Place

We stopped by The Children’s Place to find holiday clothing for the kids. I was so amazed at how big the store is. It’s huge! It looks like it’s about the size of three regular Children Place stores that you would find in a traditional mall.

And the holiday sales are also really great! Right now, everything in the store is on sale, including holiday dresses and suits. 

We found holiday graphic tees for under $5 and matching pajama sets 50% off. We’re planning to attend a drive-thru holiday event in Southfield so I thought it would be fun to have the kids wear their matching Christmas pajamas for the event!

SNEAK PEEK: I bought matching Christmas pajamas for my little ones for holiday photos. The holiday pajamas are 50% off at The Children’s Place at Great Lakes Crossing Outlets!

GREAT LAKES CROSSING OUTLETS PUTS #COMMUNITYFIRST

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets is giving back to the community this holiday season. The coronavirus pandemic has hurt many families and individuals this year. That’s why GLCO is committed to giving back to the community this holiday season.

As part of Great Lakes Crossing Outlets’ commitment to #communityfirst, GLCO is partnering with Feeding America and its sister centers across the U.S. to help provide 1.5 million meals to communities and neighbors facing hunger. See how you can participate and make an impact in our local community through the #communityfirstchallenge.

$1 helps provide at least 10 meals to children and families in need through the Feeding America network of food banks. Find more information on the Impact of Dollars Donated to Feeding America FAQ page.

#COMMUNITYFIRSTCHALLENGE

Here’s how you can participate in the #communityfirstchallenge to help make an impact in our local community.

  • Snap a photo of yourself in front of the READY, SELFIE, GO! mirror located in District 6.
  • Post your selfie on Instagram using #communityfirstchallenge
  • Tag @greatlakescrossingoutlets in your photo.
  • Follow GLCO on Instagram here.

Great Lakes Crossing Outlets will donate 10 meals to Feeding America for every photo shared on Instagram! You will also be entered for a chance to win a $250 Visa gift card. Limit one donation per Instagram user. GLCO will donate 10 meals for qualifying posts up to 100,000 meals. Click here to read the complete rules of the #communityfirstchallenge.

Visit Great Lakes Crossing Outlets official website here for more information and tips on how to navigate your holiday shopping experience. Mall address: 4000 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Hope you enjoy your holiday shopping and don’t forget to share your #communityfirstchallenge Instagram selfie!


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Written by

Jennifer Hamra

Freelance creative Jennifer Hamra created her blog Good Life Detroit in 2015 after relocating from Tennessee to Southeast Michigan.

Inspired by her love for personal blogging and photography, Jennifer likes to share her favorite Detroit things, from cool places to visit (the hidden gems are her favorite!) to the amazing people she has connected with over the years.

When she's not busy juggling family life and her creative projects, you can find her at an art gallery, community event, farmers market, or spending quiet time at home with a good book and cup of tea.

Jennifer lives in the metro Detroit area with her husband Travis and their six children.

Connect with Jennifer on social media @goodlifedetroit on all social media platforms or via email at [email protected].