Kipling

Tiny little shop but I like coming in to check out the Kipling Monkeys. Every product comes w/​a signature monkey keychain named after an actual Kipling Employee fr around the world. Awesome marketing Kipling! Some of the monkey’s have a baby monkey piggy back riding. So cute! The product colors are bright and vibrant. Lots of pockets for travel needs. Their Xmas trees were decorated w/​their Monkeys. Nice little shop w/​monkeys hanging around.

My mother is a big fan of Kipling products when it comes to traveling. This store is small compared to some of the other outlet stores at San Ysidro, but it is actually very similar in size to their other factory location in Cabazon (Desert Hills Outlet). However– that being said, they have a pretty good selection of bags & luggage.
This store is ideal for the stylish traveler. I find their collections to be very functional (lots of pockets & big, smooth zippers) and they always come in a variety of colors, ranging from black to teal to magenta to champagne gold. Although you can mix & match different styles and colors, you can usually buy a crossbody, tote & backpack of the same color, which is a nice option (depending on what stock they have left, of course).
Aside from their product, the employees here are amazing! I had to write this review b/​c of how helpful they were to my mother and me. It was difficult distinguishing among the 3 different gold-​hued collections they had, and a female employee patiently walked my mother through the different ones («champagne gold» «metallic gold» & a «toasty gold») and helped her match up the products she was looking for. She changed her mind a few times and none of the employees gave her a hard time about it or stopped smiling. Leo, in particular was also very kind and professional. The employees here automatically get you a new, unopened item when you purchase it, and are very efficient and knowledgeable about the products. The customer service here was top notch! The level of personal shopping they gave us was unexpected. I was very pleased.
They also have great sales. I’ve never come here once when they didn’t have something on sale for 30/​40/​50% off.
I also think it’s awesome how every monkey keychain is named after an actual Kipling employee somewhere in the world. It almost makes me want to apply for a job here just for the chance to have my own personalized monkey keychain!