by Linda Ann Nickerson

Created on: May 23, 2007

AN OUTLET FOR THE SHOP-A-HOLIC

Does anyone ever pay full price for anything anymore?

Outlet malls and discount stores are the new marketing meccas for Americans. They are now popping up in every state. Nearly every major manufacturer of consumer items has a website and an outlet. (Many even offer outlets on their websites!) Big-box stores (such as Value City, TJ Maxx, Marshall's, and more) offer discounted merchandise as well.

Are outlet stores really a good deal? How can you make the most of your trip to the outlet mall or the bargain store?

AT THE OUTLET MALL:

Know your brands. If you have favorite fashion designers or manufacturers, you can find excellent values by shopping at their own factory outlets. When we visit an outlet mall, we pick three or four stores that we like, instead of tempting ourselves by browsing through everything.

Have a working knowledge of current prices for fashion and other items. The oldest trick in retailing is to mark an item UP, so that you can put a red slash through the inflated price and call it a markdown. Just because the price-tag says a shirt retailed at $50 doesn't make $24.99 a super price for it. Perhaps you recently saw the same shirt in a department store for $22.50.)

Be aware of current styles. Items may end up in outlet stores because they did not sell during their current seasons in department stores or mall shops. Often, outdated items are unloaded cheaply in outlet stores to unwitting customers. (Remember gauchos and shrug sweaters, anyone?)

Think ahead to other seasons. Outlet stores often carry off-season merchandise at deep discounts. You might spot a super winter coat or summer swimsuit for nearly nothing. If it's a classic style in quality fabric, why not snatch it up and store it for the right season?

Be aware that outlet items may differ greatly from retail items. Some fashion designers produce separate lines of merchandise for regular stores and outlets. Many brand-name retailers, such as Gap, actually print different clothing tags for outlet items.

Check quality carefully. Substitutions often occur at outlets. For example, a brand-name shoe may have been produced in an inferior fabric for sale at the discount outlet. Just because it closely resembles a high-priced style doesn't make it worth even half the price. Look inside the shoe. Is it leather or man-made?

Look for imperfections. Usually irregular items have a red stamping on the product tag (sewn inside the clothing), as well as on the pricetag. If you purchase

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