Outlet stores

10 replies

User1706 · 27/12/2023 16:47

What are your thoughts on outlet stores? Genuine stock with decent discounts due to being out of season or previously overstocked or purpose made cheaper fabrics and poor designs with a label stuck on it to justify the price?

Inspired by my dire visit to York's Designer Outlet.

OP posts:

OneRingToRuleThemAll · 27/12/2023 16:54

A mix of all three. I bought a leather jacket recently from a Ted Baker outlet and thought I had an amazing bargain, only to find the same jacket for the same price on the sale bit of their main website. So nothing extra off for being outlet.

Mbear · 27/12/2023 16:55

Most companies that run an outlet business (ie more than one shop) will be producing stock specifically for the outlets. There will be some genuine end of line stuff that comes through from their high street stores, but there isn’t enough lines/stock/sizes to sustain them that way.

Elfon · 27/12/2023 17:00

Ted Baker make clothes specifically for the outlet. I bought a jumpsuit for a wedding then saw what looked like the same one in an outlet for a lower price. However, when I got it home it was noticeably inferior to the full price version- cheaper fabric, didn’t fit as well. I returned it.

gocompare · 27/12/2023 17:35

My mulberry is from outlet. It's a standard mulberry in stock on the website still after four years of me getting it for my 40th.

Cheshire oaks is our nearest and it is a mix of last season and current and new.

Sales didn't seem massive this year as my DH changed some trainers this morning. Said it was more or less same price. Massive queues though

Strawberryshortcake90 · 27/12/2023 19:42

Varies. Last time I was in the UGG store at Bicester the displays were quite clearly labelled between the full price boots and the ones that were outlet styles and the outlet ones were noticeably poorer quality. I’ve bought designer sunglasses in David Clulow which have been exactly the same. All Saints clothes are usually past season stuff from the main stores.
Coach, Michael Kors and Kate Spade bags are designs produced specifically for their outlet but I don’t think they’re worse quality than their main collections.

Britpopbaby · 27/12/2023 20:02

On my last visit to Bicester I was massively disappointed at the lack of what I thought were bargains. I went to an outlet today and saw something I bought about three years ago for much cheaper in the sale at about two or three times the price. I like going to the Cosmetic Company outlet stores for bargains and the Molton Brown outlet stores.

greengreengrass25 · 27/12/2023 20:06

Hard to say. Isn't T K Max a bit like that.

Always found the Swindon outlets reasonable

Original poster

User1706 · 28/12/2023 12:21

@Britpopbaby pretty much your post sums up what I thought few nice cheaper beauty/household products. Arguably in less popular colours but fair enough for discounted products.

Only (what at least felt like a genuine) bargain was some denby glasses £90 down to £25.

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NorthernSpirit · 28/12/2023 12:31

There was a recent documentary on the outlet stores - how much of the stock is specifically produced stock and of poorer quality. I’m sure you can google it.

I used to visit Wembley & Bicester regularly. I don’t bother now - the quality of stock was poor and there weren’t ‘bargains’. I’ve seen better deals in the sales.

quietlyplease · 28/12/2023 12:48

It's an absolute mix. Often there are the overstocks and imperfect items but yeah a lot of it is just made specifically cheap

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