Pearlmansjewelers.com
 

Diamond Jewelry Forums   Picture Gallery   Video Gallery   Journal

   
 Search Posted Today Most Active Help   
 » Home »  » Pricescope café »  » Shopping »  » Outlet merchandise vs real store merchandise?


  

 Outlet merchandise vs real store merchandise?

P:  10/6/2005 11:55:24 AM  
Ann
Ann

Ideal Rock
Total Posts: 1,527
Last Post: 6/1/2007
Member Since: 9/24/2004
 
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.
Posted:  10/6/2005 11:55:24 AM

 There are 4 replies to this message.  There are 4 replies on this page.

P: 10/6/2005 11:22:47 PM
Blue824
Blue824

Ideal Rock
Total Posts: 1,614
Last Post: 10/28/2009
Member Since: 12/15/2004
 
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.

Posted:  10/6/2005 11:22:47 PM
P: 10/26/2005 2:01:09 AM
monarch64
monarch64

Ideal Rock
Total Posts: 9,557
Last Post: 11/24/2009
Member Since: 8/12/2005
 
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.

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Henry David Thoreau

Posted:  10/26/2005 2:01:09 AM
P: 10/26/2005 2:46:04 AM
Mara
Mara

Ideal Rock
Total Posts: 27,926
Last Post: 11/24/2009
Member Since: 10/30/2002
 
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!

________________________________

"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."

-Albert Einstein

Posted:  10/26/2005 2:46:04 AM
P: 11/9/2005 11:54:13 PM
monarch64
monarch64

Ideal Rock
Total Posts: 9,557
Last Post: 11/24/2009
Member Since: 8/12/2005
 
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!

"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined." Henry David Thoreau

Posted:  11/9/2005 11:54:13 PM

 Previous Page Next Page 
« Christmas Gift Basket ideas ? «» Christmas Cards »
Next Topics
ultrasonic cleaners Watch Shopping at Tourneau... any suggestions? Can you use an Ultrasonic Cleaner to often? Ultrasonic /Jewelry Cleaners Bluefly? Funny E-Bay posting - a must read! What is the best paper cutter? Ladies- Anyone love Kathy Van Zeeland handbags?! Fall and Winter Must-Have's?? need opinions - diamond hoops Leather Portfolio A Few of My Favorite Things song and this diamond! Used Ideal-scope for sale? what to do in NYC Casual Corner & Petite Sophisticates closing TA DA...New Coussin LV! Kate Spade-Sample Sale Bag, Borrow or Steal -- Netflix for Purses!!! Christmas Cards Facets new updated website Need new tires for my car.... Ladies who have a white/ivory/off white winter coat... Christmas Gift Basket ideas ? Loehmann's (no way!) boots White gold necklace with cream sweater???? Paris's Ring! Help me with Candy Names...please! Where to Find Aveda Burnished Christmas Party Outfit Stuff Swap

Jump to:



Contact Us  |  Back Home  |  Privacy Statement  |  Forum Agreement  |  Forum Policies

Ideal BB Version: 0.1.5.4.beta1 Message forum software powered by  the Ideal BB

IdealBB Badge


Pricescope - Knowledge - Diamond Prices - Tools - Resources - About

© 2000-2009 Pricescope. Terms of Use Privacy Policy Disclaimer
forum archives