A clothing outlet is your go-to store when you’re looking to buy clothes at a discounted price. It offers a wide array of designs from well-known brands for a fraction of the cost of retail stores.
It was made to sell products directly to customers, and it started as an outlet that sells items with minor defects and off-season clothing for bargains. Due to its affordability and wide options, it has become a favorite for shopping sprees.
To figure out whether it’s worth the hype or not, here are the pros and cons of shopping from a clothing outlet.
Pros
Outlet shopping offers a lot of advantages, from lower prices to seemingly endless choices of designs and sizes.
- Lower Prices
You always want to get the best deals when it comes to shopping. Clothing outlets offer discounted prices throughout the year, so you’ll get to enjoy huge savings when you buy in bulk.
Clothing outlets include products that failed to be sold at retail stores, as well as outdated items. Hence, you can go to an outlet of your favorite brand to get the pieces that are no longer in their current collection. You’ll find them at a discounted price but still in good condition.
Because clothing outlets offer discounts, they’re often crowded. However, you can save yourself some time and skip the lines by visiting THE DOM or other online clothing outlets that boast the best deals and quality.
- Wide Choices
Clothing outlets are vast. They sell a wide range of clothing from past collections that you can no longer buy at retail stores, such as swimwear, sportswear, and formal outfits. Whether you choose to visit a physical outlet or buy from an online shop, you’ll never run out of choices.
Clothing outlets are also the best stores to buy seasonal clothing year round. For instance, you can purchase winter gear during spring and summer dresses during winter. Since you’re buying off-season items, you’ll get them at the lowest prices.
Moreover, most outlets, especially online, offer products from different brands. They provide a one-stop shop with your favorite brands, saving you the trouble of jumping from one outlet to another.
- Popular Brands
Woman in medical mask choosing clothes in outlet store.
Most popular brands have their designated outlets, such as Mango and Tommy Hilfiger. However, you may find physical and online outlets that cater to various famous brands, both local and international.
Popular clothing brands originally established outlets to bring their unsold products straight to their consumers. They increase their sales by selling the bulk of items for the lowest prices. During big seasonal sales, it’s best to buy many of their pieces if you can to save more.
Cons
Despite the savings and convenience clothing outlets offer, they have their fair share of disadvantages you should keep in mind.
- Lower Quality
Quality comes with a price. Since outlet stores have products brands couldn’t sell at retail stores, you have to lower your expectations regarding the items’ overall condition.
Currently, brands manufacture items of lower quality exclusively for outlets as well. It may be the same design you can buy in retail, but the quality is often compromised. Brands may have used lower-quality materials to sell them at almost half the price of the original products.
Suppose you’re incredibly meticulous regarding the details and quality of clothing. In that case, you must take more time examining the products before buying. One of the best tips in buying from outlet stores is to check the details, like the seams, buttons, and fabric texture, for a quick quality check.
- Outdated Fashion Trends
Buying at clothing outlets may not appeal to those who always want the latest fashion trend. Since most outlets feature items from past collections, some pieces might look a little outdated.
However, outlet shopping may be ideal for those who love to buy timeless pieces they can wear any season. Products may be outdated but still wearable. Shopping wisely will help you get the items you can mix and match with the other pieces in your wardrobe.
Additionally, you’ll have to spend more time going through all the items at physical outlets to find ones that suit your taste. Since outlets are large-scale stores, shopping there is time-consuming. Hence, you have to be patient in looking through outdated items to discover gems.
- Not-So-Accessible Location
Physical clothing outlets are often built in less accessible places. They’re usually located far from other clothing establishments and residential areas.
They’re established in locations with lower land prices too. This is why you’ll often find them outside the cities and have to go on long drives.
However, they now offer their products online. The global lockdown has increased the popularity of online shopping. So, if you’re planning to go on a shopping spree but the outlet you want to visit is far, you can just go online, browse some items, load them on your cart, check out, and have them delivered to your doorstep.
Conclusion
Outlet shopping requires a lot of patience and comes with its disadvantages, but it offers wonderful, thrilling experiences. It’ll all be worth it once you’ve found beautiful pieces that were meant just for you.