Shareholders' Equity of the Company (Notes) (Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc)	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2012
Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc
Schedule of Shareholders' Equity of the Company [Line Items]
Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]	Shareholders' Equity of the Company Throughout the first quarter of 2012, various Family Limited Partners exchanged a total of 1,332,533 Operating Partnership units for 5,330,132 Company common shares. After the above described exchanges, the Family Limited Partners owned 1,540,440 Operating Partnership units.

Shareholders' Equity of the Company (Notes) (Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Tanger Factory Outlet Centers, Inc

Schedule of Shareholders' Equity of the Company [Line Items]

Stockholders' Equity Note Disclosure [Text Block]

Shareholders' Equity of the Company

Throughout the first quarter of 2012, various Family Limited Partners exchanged a total of 1,332,533 Operating Partnership units for 5,330,132 Company common shares. After the above described exchanges, the Family Limited Partners owned 1,540,440 Operating Partnership units.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for shareholders' equity, comprised of portions attributable to the parent entity and noncontrolling interest, if any, including other comprehensive income (as applicable). Including, but not limited to: (1) balances of common stock, preferred stock, additional paid-in capital, other capital and retained earnings; (2) accumulated balance for each classification of other comprehensive income and total amount of comprehensive income; (3) amount and nature of changes in separate accounts, including the number of shares authorized and outstanding, number of shares issued upon exercise and conversion, and for other comprehensive income, the adjustments for reclassifications to net income; (4) rights and privileges of each class of stock authorized; (5) basis of treasury stock, if other than cost, and amounts paid and accounting treatment for treasury stock purchased significantly in excess of market; (6) dividends paid or payable per share and in the aggregate for each class of stock for each period presented; (7) dividend restrictions and accumulated preferred dividends in arrears (in aggregate and per share amount); (8) retained earnings appropriations or restrictions, such as dividend restrictions; (9) impact of change in accounting principle, initial adoption of new accounting principle and correction of an error in previously issued financial statements; (10) shares held in trust for Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP); (11) deferred compensation related to issuance of capital stock; (12) note received for issuance of stock; (13) unamortized discount on shares; (14) description, terms, and number of warrants or rights outstanding; (15) shares under subscription and subscription receivables, effective date of new retained earnings after quasi-reorganization and deficit eliminated by quasi-reorganization and, for a period of at least ten years after the effective date, the point in time from which the new retained dates; and (16) retroactive effective of subsequent change in capital structure.

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+ Details