Nov. 28--While most analysts are predicting slow-to-declining sales, retailers at Hamilton Town Center are exceeding expectations and becoming national sales leaders.

As the traditional holiday shopping season kicks off today, this Noblesville outdoor shopping center, which opened in May, is a bright spot in what has been a mostly tepid national retail scene this year.

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At least four stores or restaurants at the shopping center report they are among the top-performing outlets in their respective national chains.

With a wide range of tenants that includes Bed Bath & Beyond, Dick's Sporting Goods, J.C. Penney and Banana Republic, the center was packed even on a recent weekday.

Restaurants had long lines, and retailers couldn't keep up with the traffic inside stores.

"Since this mall opened, I haven't shopped anyplace else," said Mary Sue Shelton, Fishers, who was eating at Qdoba last week. "It's pretty. It's new. And it has an electric feel about it."

Among the outlets reaping the benefits is Gymboree, a children's clothing store. Store manager Cheryl Wagner said her location is one of the top performers in the 800-store chain.

"I can usually singly cover the store for the first three hours, and it should not be a big deal," Wagner said.

But on a recent day, she couldn't wait for help to arrive. "We have 60 percent of our (sales) day in, and we've only been open for two hours," she noted.

It's not just retail stores that are seeing great success.

Paradise Bakery & Cafe, the first restaurant that opened at the mall, is the busiest store in the nationwide chain.

Houlihan's, in its first week at Hamilton Town Center in July, was the busiest among the chain's 35 corporate-owned restaurants. And McAlister's expects the mall location to do more than $2 million in sales the first full year, higher than its company average.

"We have no reason not to be optimistic this holiday season," said Brian Walls, mall manager. "We have tenants outperforming the rest of the country."

Last week, two tenants opened their doors: Cold Stone Creamery and Occasionally Yours, bringing the tally of retailers to 62.

So why is this center such a beacon on the retail landscape? Sure, it's the latest and greatest to open, but it has some other key advantages.

It has super-easy access to I-69, drawing crowds from as far north as Wabash.

Families with discretionary income to spend surround it. The center serves more than 100 residential neighborhoods with more than 27,000 housing units.