The anticipation is over for many shoppers waiting for the Outlets at Tejon to open.
"Well we thought we'd get here early in the morning and beat the traffic but it's still really crowded," said one Bakersfield shopper.
The crowded outlets didn't come as a surprise for outlet officials.
"Yesterday we were probably close to about 150,000-160,000. If we get another 50 to 75, which is what we are expecting today, then we will eclipse that 225,000 mark," said Barry Zoeller with the Tejon Ranch Company.
Outlet officials surveyed shoppers and found many of them were from Kern and LA County. They also found shoppers from out of state who were traveling through and stopped by.
Bakersfield residents say the outlets allow them to spend money locally.
"We would travel over two hours to go to the outlets usually out in L.A. or the other side of town," said shopper Deyssi Jimenez.
Stores like Michael Kors are reporting record sales.
"And that's very important to us obviously," said Zoeller.
But also important for Kern County.
"It means significant tax revenue for the county. It means a great opportunity to showcase what Kern County is all about. If people coming from different parts of the state or different parts of the nation, if this is where they stop and get their first impression of what Bakersfield and Kern County is all about, we think it's a great beginning and a great first impression," continued Zoeller.
Outlet officials say another added benefit to having the outlets here in Kern County are the number of new jobs created, which is 2,500.
