Labor Day is one of the biggest weekends for shopping, second only to Black Friday.

But you want a deal, right? Then head to one of SoCal's outlet malls, which are rapidly becoming upscale for the waves of frugal shoppers driving in.

"Outlets are focusing on top-shelf amenities and 5-star service similar to what the world's top hotels would offer," says Michelle Dalton Tyree from Fashion Trends Daily.

That includes valet parking, a VIP lounge, luggage storage and even concerts.

"The Citadel, just south of downtown L.A., has actually had everyone from Justin Bieber to Ariana Grande perform!" says Tyree.

A driving force in the growth of outlets is the Chinese consumer.

"The Citadel alone sees upwards of 60 buses per day of tourists," she says.

Many are looking for luxury accessories from brands like Kate Spade, Coach and Michael Kors.

But some of those bargains are better than others.

"A lot of people don't realize this, but many brands actually produce 'direct-to-outlet' merchandise, which means the item has never been at the regular stores," says Tyree.

J. Crew, The Gap and Off Fifth from Saks Fifth Avenue all sell these items, but Tyree says there is a way to figure out if what you're buying is the deal or made specifically for the outlet.

• For starters, ask the salespeople if you're not sure. Most will be forthcoming.
• J. Crew puts two diamonds under the "r" on the label for outlet-only items
• Gap uses three dots to mark its outlet products