Hello all! Sorry for the delay in posting…sometimes the demands of being a worker bee, mom, and wife catch up to you and leave time for little else. Not that I am complaining, I love being a wife and mom more than just about anything (and I actually enjoy work most of the time too :)). I think I just hit that perfect storm of winter sickness, increased workload at my job, and the toddler phase kicking in (or should I say “kicking and screaming” in…and consequently so did our first foray into “time out”). So today I decided to unwind a little bit with the family (on a rare and much-needed day off altogether) and take a little trip up to the outlets (needless to say I chose the activity, but the husband was a very good sport...though he did spend last weekend in San Francisco sans wife and baby so he owed me in general :)). Hence the inspiration for this post- what does one buy at the outlets? Does outlet shopping guarantee substantial savings?
Outlet shopping is an interesting thing- when you go in, you generally assume that you are getting a good deal, but that’s not always the case. After all, you have to remember that the retail stores are still in the business of making money, not giving their merch away (though if any of them asks I would ADORE a Burberry trench :)). Here are my quick tips:
1. Avoid merchandise that is manufactured for the outlets. To keep a stock of items that is similar across outlet stores (and to keep their general stock high), companies often manufacture items specifically for the outlets. These items are typically popular and/or past season styles made with fabric that was not of high enough quality for the regular stores (meaning they may not wear or wash up as well). The dead giveaway is a price tag that is marked “Compare To” or “Similar Item Price” or anything to that effect. The one partial exception to this rule: some of the designer handbag lines do manufacture bags for the outlets, but the leather ones can be a good investment if they are priced around 50% or so less than the in-store price.
2. Try department store outlets. Since most department stores don’t manufacture their own fashion lines, they are less likely to manufacture items specifically for the outlets. Additionally, the return policies of the retail department stores can bring some great designer pieces to the outlet. For example, if an item is returned at an odd time of the year (say after the large clearance sale), it’s likely that the item will be sent on its way to the outlet with very little time on the display floor since it will no longer be considered current season.
3. Don’t buy unless your savings are about 60% or more off of the retail price. Here’s the thing: most non-outlet retail stores have sales that can save you 60-75% off of retail price for current season styles…so why pay less than that sale price for an outlet, which typically carries past season styles? There’s nothing wrong with past season, but (in my opinion) you shouldn’t have to pay as much for it.
4. Google is your outlet BFF. Related to #3 above- how do you know if you are getting a deal? One easy way to find out- just Google the item you are looking at! Google the particular style name on the price tag or just the general description of the item (example: “Banana Republic cashmere sweater”). This will give you an idea of the item retail price. Note: if you have the exact style name but no online retailers carry that exact item (or that particular color), you probably have a past season style. Note that this rule also applies to flash sale websites in addition to outlets.
5. Go for basics or higher end items that would normally be out of your price range. On my list of items to buy: handbags, designer jeans in a dark or classic wash, and a leather jacket or winter coat (one of my best outlet purchases was a suede and shearling coat for $200 which retailed for $2500…and after 6 Chicago winters I can tell you that the warmth this coat provides would have been worth the full $2500). For extra savings and one-of-a-kind items, go straight for the outlet store markdown or clearance racks. You would be amazed what you can find. For example, one time I found a Ralph Lauren black label blazer with a retail price of approximately $2000 for fifty bucks. Yes, $50, and the same blazer had been featured in Vogue magazine. Doesn’t get much better than that.
