They came, they saw, they shopped.

Four months after Twin Cities Premium Outlets opened its 100-store Eagan outlet center at Hwys. 77 and 13, many involved in the venture are calling it a success.

"It has been a phenomenal success from our vantage point," said Brent Cory, president and CEO of the Eagan Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Although sales figures from pre-holiday shopping weren't available — the center opened at 6 p.m. Thanksgiving Day and stayed open until 10 p.m. on Black Friday — retailers were "very pleased," said Peter Lund, general manager of Simon Property Group, which manages the center.

The mall placed seventh on a list of Twin Cities retail centers that shoppers planned to visit at least once this holiday season in an annual survey done by the University of St. Thomas.

The Eagan center beat out Arbor Lakes, Woodbury Lakes, the Maplewood Mall and Galleria, among others.

Groups from as far away as China have traveled to shop at Twin Cities Premium Outlets, which opened in August.

Eagan Police Chief Jim McDonald said the center has had 490 calls for service and about 70 shoplifting thefts in the past four months. There haven't been any reports of robberies or assaults, though, he said.

"It's been a safe place to go," the chief said. "If you walk through there, people enjoy the atmosphere. It adds some vitality to the city."

The police department took two officers from a dedicated traffic unit and reassigned them to work the outlet center and the surrounding area.

The challenge now, McDonald said, is to ensure that officers can respond to calls in the rest of the city in a timely manner. Next year, an additional officer will be added to the force.

The center has been a boon for the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Cory, who rattled off the statistics:

• Group tour bookings increased 104 percent for 2014 over 2013 "and it's almost exclusively mall-driven," he said.

• Social media followers increased 113 percent over 2013 "and a big part of that traffic is Twin Cities Premium Outlets."

• Web traffic increased 355 percent; 31 percent of all visits are exclusively about the center.

• About 18 groups from Canadian, Minnesota and other destinations have booked trips just to come to the center. A group came from as far away as China to shop there about a month and a half ago, he said.

"We feel the interest will be sustained for several years at least," Cory said. "I think the Great Recession has driven us all to find savings. We're hoping we'll be the destination of choice for years to come. I just don't see it letting up."

Not just a mall

The center is part of Eagan's redevelopment, so each piece feeds off the other, said Eagan community development director Jon Hohenstein.

The announcement of the center two years ago resulted in Stonebridge Development moving forward with the Flats at Cedar Grove apartment/retail complex, which is currently under construction.

The city has a purchase agreement for Hilton Home 2, a 119-room hotel. A 50-unit townhouse project is in the works.

Other businesses, such as Jensen's Supper Club, have been remodeled and are seeing more business from shoppers at the outlet center, he said.

A new Cedar Grove transit station in the median of Hwy. 77 also will make it more convenient for shoppers to come to the center, Hohenstein said.

The outlet center has done several holiday promotions. During the holiday season, there are strolling Santas, carolers and discounts on top of the already discounted goods, Lund said.

Pat Pheifer • 952-746-3284