The biggest shopping day of the year, Black Friday, is here and thousands of El Pasoans will begin their holiday shopping this weekend.
Borderland shoppers will probably have their list ready of what stores they want to hit for sales and gift ideas for their relatives and friends.
However, they may want to take note of all the new stores that have opened over the last year and at the end of 2024, which might offer additional gift-giving ideas for the holiday season.
Enoch Kimmelman, owner of The Shoppes at Solana and Starr Western Wear, is opening the expanded Union Fashion just in time for Black Friday weekend.
“Black Friday is coming up, so we timed it perfectly to open two days before,” he said Tuesday, Nov. 25. The store on the lower floor of the Westside shopping center has gone from about 2,500 square feet to about 8,000.
Aside from Union Fashion, several other stores have recently opened at Cielo Vista Mall and across the city. These new retailers offer a wide range of products, from men’s and women’s clothing and shoes to children’s toys and household items. Japanese-themed merchandise, such as Blind Boxes and snacks, has also become increasingly available with the arrival of multiple Japanese-style retail stores.
Here is a review of some of these new stores and what you can find for your holiday shopping in 2025.
Union Fashion is reopening at the Shoppes at Solana
The Union Fashion store at Shoppes at Solana has quite a legacy in El Paso, with Kimmelman’s parents opening Starr Western Wear in the 1960s, and is known for carrying several name brands like Versace and Boss.
The expanded space allows the store to feature more brands, such as Burberry, Canali and Etro. The store carries both men’s and women’s clothing, Versace and Burberry purses, as well as a limited Burberry children’s section.
Miniso now open at Bassett Place
Miniso, a Chinese retailer known for household goods, toys, kitchenware, and snacks, recently held a soft opening at Bassett Place. The store is between Marshall’s and Ross.
The store is a great place to shop for stocking stuffers and fun snacks. Some of the fun items we saw were winking kitty cat stuffed animals, lots of small storage containers for makeup, jewelry, hair accessories in colorful themes like Lilo & Stitch, Blind Boxes (which means you won’t what you got until you open it), Helly Kitty makeup bags, plenty of sunglass options, stationary items, and popular snacks with unique flavors such as Lays Stax with a hot chili squid flavor.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet opens on East Side
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, a retailer of closeout merchandise, opened in September and is being discovered by El Paso shoppers. The store is in a former Big Lots store at 1590 George Dieter Drive, so it’s a pretty spacious location.
There is a lot to see from home decor, such as rugs and household items, to pantry items, luggage and clothing, to toys and books. Considering we don’t have many toy stores, Ollie’s is a good place to shop for kids’ toys this holiday season. There are dolls like Baby Alive for $19.99, Hot Wheels, Barbie dolls and popular board games.
The store also carries a good selection of books and a shelf of comics.
Primark at Cielo Vista Mall offers affordable clothing
Primark, a leading international retailer, had its grand opening in September at Cielo Vista Mall.
This is the second Primark store in Texas, following the brand’s first Texas store opening in McAllen last December. Primark intends to continue its brand presence in the state with upcoming openings in Hurst and Houston.
The store carries men’s, women’s and children’s fashions as well as housewares.
JD Sports brings fashionable sneakers
If you have youths on your shopping list, you might want to stop by JD Sports on the upper level of Cielo Vista Mall, across from Abercrombie Kids. The store opened in November of 2024.
It is known for carrying globally recognized sneaker brands such as Nike, Adidas, Jordan, Champion, Vans, and The North Face, as well as strong own-brand labels such as Pink Soda Sport and Supply & Demand.
Mango retailer carries men’s and women’s apparel
Mango, a men’s and women’s clothing retailer, opened in November of 2024 on the lower level of Cielo Vista Mall, next to Lululemon. The store is only the second store to carry both men’s and women’s apparel.
Mango is a European fashion company that was founded in Barcelona in 1984. The company has an online presence and operates in more than 115 markets. Trendy shoppers will discover the latest in Mango women’s fashion, footwear, and accessories.
Outlet Shoppes at El Paso welcomed Dickies, Pandora and Victoria’s Secret in summer of 2025
The Outlet Shoppes at El Paso welcomed three new tenants to its property: Dickies, Pandora and Victoria’s Secret late this summer.
Dickies takes up 3,200 square feet in Suite C-354, adjacent to Johnston and Murphy. Dickies is known for durable and long-lasting workwear.
Pandora unveiled its 2,100-square-foot store in space D-446 between Psycho Bunny and Perry Ellis. Pandora is known for its customizable charm bracelets, as well as a variety of jewelry, including rings, earrings, and necklaces.
Victoria’s Secret occupies a spacious 5,966 sq. ft. location in space D-405, alongside the new Coach and Ann Taylor stores. It carries a wide variety of women’s lingerie.
OK Corral in bigger space at Outlet Shoppes at El Paso
The El OK Corral expanded and relocated to a bigger space, a spacious 10,178 square feet, within the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso at the end of 2024. The store is adjacent to Columbia Sportswear and Adidas.
El OK Corral is a family-owned establishment and is renowned for its vast selection of Western-style products, including boots, hats, belts, denim, and various apparel items.
So it’s a great place to shop for western wear for those out-of-town relatives who want a taste of the Southwest.
Coach doubled its footprint at the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso
The Coach store at the Outlet Shoppes at El Paso relocated to a new store at the end of 2024 and is next to the Johnston and Murphy Factory Store. It expanded from 3,967 square feet to an impressive 8,516 square feet.
The Coach store, a leading New York-based fashion house, is known for handbags, luggage, accessories, and contemporary ready-to-wear fashion, catering to diverse styles and needs for women and men.
Hello Kitty opened at Shoppes at Solana late 2024
Hello Kitty was a big hit when it opened on the first floor of the Shoppes at Solana in late 2024. It is next to FYE. Mall hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
The store features many collectible and household items, from backpacks and clothing to stationery and cups, cute lunch boxes and knick-knacks in their favorite themes.
El Pasoans have three Daiso Japanese retail stores
The first Japanese retail store, Daiso, opened in East El Paso, at 11917 Gateway Blvd., in June of 2024. Two other Daiso stores followed: 9484 Dyer St., Suite E. and 7410 Remcon Circle, Suite A.
When the first store opened, employees could not keep the shelves filled with Japanese snacks, including chips and Poky Sticks and drinks, including flavored milk. The store also offers interesting home items, including kitchen utensils, cups and plates, desk and office supplies, gardening items and makeup and hair products. It is sure to be a great place to shop for stocking stuffers.
María Cortés González may be reached at 915-546-6150, [email protected] and @EPTMaria on Twitter, and eptmariacg on TikTok
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