Larger corporations use focus groups to make these determinations. They start with a list of names and obtain perceptions of what those names mean to others (not to the corporation). Using graphical elements as an example: I would use the color blue ...
Santee Alley... you can get almost anything here on the black market. They have TONS of handbags for like 5 bucks!
Desert Hills outlet in Cabazon just west of Palm Springs has some great outlets. There's Coach, Gucci, DKNY, a whole mess of them...