With just 43 days before Christmas, the Outlets at San Clemente, a project 18 years in the making, has opened.

The 500,000-square-foot mall with ocean views has been a bustle of finishing touches in recent days as retailers stocked shelves, holiday decorations went up and a Christmas tree was put in place.

Brad Richards, regional sales manager for Bass Factory Outlet, said his store is ready for the outlet’s debut today – and the anticipated holiday shopping crush.

“It’s a lot of added pressure to be ready for the holidays,” Richards said. “Everyone at the center is under the gun to open on time.”

But one store manager said opening so close to the holidays has its benefits.

Sun Diego Boardshops will open its 10th store at the outlets this week. Store manager Phillip Castellanos said it was like “making it to the Super Bowl without having to play the season.”

The surf and skate retailer and the Bass shoe shop are just two of 70 stores opening in phase one at the 52-acre bluff-top outlet mall. Shops include Chico’s Outlet, H&M, Nike Factory Store, Tommy Hilfiger. Local stores will include Vans, Tilly’s, Planet Beauty, Ruby’s Diner and Bowl of Heaven. Around 40 stores are scheduled to open this week, with more soon to follow.

Retail analyst Greg Stoffel said the mall’s location, right off I-5 on Avenida Vista Hermosa, will make it a major draw.

“There are simply too many positives about the center for it to fail,” he said. “The fact that the center is located in an affluent corner of southern Orange County will certainly help.

“Even though the Outlets at Orange is also located in Orange County, it is 28 miles from San Clemente and not very convenient to southern Orange County. The Carlsbad Premium Outlets are also 28 miles to the south,” he said.

Steve Craig, the outlet mall’s developer, expects 4 million to 5 million people a year to make their way through the center. He believes visitors will include Southern California tour groups as they make their way up or down the coast.

So far, around 1,000 retail employees have been hired, in addition to 45 mall staff members.

CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

In the week leading up to the outlet’s grand opening, Craig watched as finishing touches were put on the stores.

In making the mall a destination, Craig said he focused on one important thing: experiences. In a world where consumers can simply log on to their computer and have access to millions of products, the shopper experience has become increasingly important.

“We want to make the experience of going shopping better so you want to leave your home and come here,” Craig said.

His company, Craig Realty Group, operates a variety of other outlet malls including the Citadel Outlets in Los Angeles and the Outlets at Barstow.

To help make the San Clemente outlet mall experience more enjoyable, Craig said he added clerks to help customers, along with a VIP area. In 2016, the outlets will roll out a loyalty/rewards program in which members and sponsors can use the VIP area, which includes couches, TVs and a bar with snacks.

Castellanos at Boardshops agreed that experiences are what can make retail stores great.

“Growing up, any time I went to a shop, I went for that culture. We want people to experience that without feeling like an outsider,” he said.

THINKING OF EVERYTHING

In developing the property, Craig put an emphasis on its sustainability.

Bathrooms were customized with porcelain tile and aluminum door trim, all of which cost less to maintain. Some of the toilets are lower to the ground, with young children in mind.

The mall skipped turf and instead chose drought-tolerant plants that will decrease water usage. The clay-tile roofs likely will last 50 years, and the paving stones used in walkways should last 100 years, Craig said.

With the first phase of construction nearing its end, Craig will stay involved in the project, doing things like marketing, leasing and teaching the center’s managers.

“This is an everyday business,” Craig said. “Even when it’s done being built, I’ll still be constantly evaluating it and making changes. In retail, if you’re in neutral, you’re in reverse.”

BENEFITS TO THE AREA

Stoffel said the mall will benefit San Clemente by adding a significant amount of taxable sales revenue.

“For years its location at the southernmost end of Orange County has hurt its taxable retail sales performance,” he said of the city.

San Clemente has the 16th-largest population in Orange County but ranks 25th in the county in terms of retail sales, according to data provided by Gregory Stoffel & Associates.

Outlet malls typically offer lower price points than traditional malls, which will appeal to a variety of customers, Stoffel said. The county is home to one other outlet mall, The Outlets at Orange, which is operated by Simon Properties.

The Outlets at San Clemente will expand to include 50 additional stores during the project’s second phase, which does not yet have an opening date. Upscale restaurants with ocean views will be added as well, Craig said.

Contact the writer: hmadans@ocregister.com or Twitter: @HannahMadans