Outlet merchandise vs "real store" merchandise?

[Ann]

I am about to hit a large outlet here in Texas in the next week or so. My daughter has been telling her college roommate has bought lots of Coach purses there for big discounts. Everything I have ever read about outlet shopping has been that these so-called outlets are not always what they seem to be.

Is most of the merchandise made for the outlet store only? I know I have read that. Are these outlet stores like Coach and the like just pulling a big one on us?

I''m not going to snag a big discount, but just for fun and of course, shopping.

 

[Blue824]

some outlets do make things just for the outlets, some are overstock. i''m pretty sure the coach stuff is overstock from what i''ve seen people get. i had wanted a purple purse right after xmas and when i went the store told me they just shipped their extras from the old collection to the outlets. i know gap & banana make stuff specifically for their outlets. the stuff from the original store seems to have a line through the tag and then they''ll say gap factory or banana factory on the tag. i don''t really shop outlets much though...i guess when i go i want things to be dirt cheap and they''re not really any cheaper than things if i just got them on sale.

 

[monarch64]

I worked in retail and retail management for the last 10 years, and have always been willing to share secrets of the industry. First of all, in my own experience and knowledge of things on the inside, so to speak, Coach sells their "seconds" or things that are just a little bit battered or imperfect at their outlets. Yes, you can find great prices, but not better than you will find on sales at the end of season.... leather handbags/wallets/etc. are usually being sold at a discount because they are a little bit "dinged" or worn. Every time I have visited a Coach outlet I notice that pieces are just not quite perfect. It''s like buying a brand new car that has a mark on the side from being hit by another driver''s door. It''s definitely all up to the consumer to decide whether they want to spend money on a product that isn''t "perfect." These imperfections are usually very slight and in the end you know that your bag/wallet is going to get banged up by you anyway, so you just have to determine whether you''re willing to deal with that. Same goes for most other outlets...they are selling either overstock from this season, or imperfects from the last. Think about it: this is why so many outlet centers are placed near tourist locations. Anywhere you can vacation in the U.S. there is surely an outlet mall nearby. It might not be convenient, but it is within a 30 mile radius.

 

[Mara]

Some outlets manufacture and sell for outlet only while others send their seconds or out of season merchandise. aka Ann Taylor has an outlet brand...I thought it was called Ann Taylor Loft but maybe that's the retail.

Personally for me I have never been that impressed with the mass outlet shopping, aka those outlets you pass on the road clustered together in an area...we have a huge Gilroy outlet here that has practically every mall store you can think of, Mikasa, Gap, JCrew, Esprit, Coach, a bunch of shoe places, Maidenform etc etc kind of places but in actuality you are so overwhelmed that I find I leave there with just a handful of things or only go to a few stores because they take up so much time and the lines are long and parking is a nightmare etc.

I've gotten a deal or two at Coach but in reality I just don't have the patience for outlet shopping anymore. I tend to look for specific items online or through eBay and seem to find 'deals' better that way. Oh and I also get a deal or two often at our local Loehmann's which sells designer name stuff that are overstocks or out of seasons, so I get alot of my Juicy stuff there, they also have Kate Spade and Coach and also DKNY and Donna Karan, Chloe, Theory, etc etc. So I'd rather go and spend 2-3 hours there!

 

[monarch64]

Mara, you are totally right about Loehmann''s, it''s the best! I kept noticing your praise of the store on some of your posts before I went to NYC for the first time last weekend. I went to see my girl friend and her new baby who live in Florham Park, NJ, and she loves Loehmann''s! We went there and I found the cutest stuff! I got a shirt for $20, and while I was paying the cashier asked me if I wanted a Loehmann''s card, you know the one they scan every time you make a purchase, and I discovered from there that there is one about 10 minutes from where I live in the Chicago suburbs! Thank you, thank you, and thank you! T.J. Maxx and Marshall''s are ok if you want to dig, but Loehmann''s is the BEST! I actually used to work for a southern-based upscale discount store called SteinMart, but I have to say that Loehmann''s blows it away! Their shoe department is awesome--I found my favorite tapestry BCBGgirls peep-toe heels that I had bought last month for $75 there for $59.99! You''ve converted me!