{"id":1696,"date":"2015-08-10T07:16:27","date_gmt":"2015-08-10T11:16:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/moneysmartguides.com\/?p=1696"},"modified":"2019-08-08T15:14:10","modified_gmt":"2019-08-08T19:14:10","slug":"five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls","title":{"rendered":"5 Things to Know When Shopping at Outlet Malls"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/shopping-at-outlet-malls.jpg\" data-lasso-id=\"1133\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-4582\" src=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/shopping-at-outlet-malls-300x183.jpg\" alt=\"shopping at outlet malls\" width=\"300\" height=\"183\"\/><\/a>I\u2019m not a huge fan of clothes shopping, but at the same time, I don\u2019t despise it either. I usually will wait until I need some items, stock up and be done with it. My trips usually start out at my local shopping mall where I will buy items depending on how great of a discount I get. From there, I\u2019ll go shopping at outlet mall near my parents and pick up a few more items.<\/p>\n<p>Over the years, I\u2019ve noticed that shopping at outlet malls isn\u2019t what it\u2019s cracked up to be. Everywhere you read, people are raving about the prices and deals. Yes there are deals, but many times, they are not as good as you might think. Below is a list a handful of things to keep in mind when shopping at outlet malls.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_63 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662604e35dcee\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"ez-toc-cssicon\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #000000;color:#000000\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-662604e35dcee\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Shopping_At_Outlet_Malls_%E2%80%93_Things_To_Know_Before_You_Buy\" title=\"Shopping At Outlet Malls \u2013 Things To Know Before You Buy\">Shopping At Outlet Malls \u2013 Things To Know Before You Buy<\/a><ul class='ez-toc-list-level-3' ><li class='ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Prices_Arent_Dirt_Cheap\" title=\"Prices Aren\u2019t Dirt Cheap\">Prices Aren\u2019t Dirt Cheap<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Not_All_Coupons_and_Gift_Cards_Work\" title=\"Not All Coupons and Gift Cards Work\">Not All Coupons and Gift Cards Work<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Different_Merchandise\" title=\"Different Merchandise\">Different Merchandise<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Quality_Varies\" title=\"Quality Varies\">Quality Varies<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Know_The_Return_Policy\" title=\"Know The Return Policy\">Know The Return Policy<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-3'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/five-things-to-know-when-shopping-at-outlet-malls\/#Final_Thoughts\" title=\"Final Thoughts\">Final Thoughts<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Shopping_At_Outlet_Malls_%E2%80%93_Things_To_Know_Before_You_Buy\"><\/span>Shopping At Outlet Malls \u2013 Things To Know Before You Buy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Prices_Arent_Dirt_Cheap\"><\/span>Prices Aren\u2019t Dirt Cheap<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you are going shopping at outlet malls hoping to get a $500 pair of jeans for $10, you are out of luck \u2013 you aren\u2019t going to find that great of a deal. But for the most part, the price of items will be cheaper than in the regular store.<\/p>\n<p>Case in point: I shop at Banana Republic. When I walk into their regular store, a dress shirt ranges from $50 to $80. At the outlet mall, the store has shirts for $40 plus a discount. I can usually get my dress shirts for around $25.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Not_All_Coupons_and_Gift_Cards_Work\"><\/span>Not All Coupons and Gift Cards Work<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you can\u2019t sleep at night, you might try reading the fine print on the back of your gift cards. Some gift cards and coupons state that they are not valid at the outlet store. So before you think you are going to get an excellent deal, make sure you read the fine print. In many cases, the store has separate coupons specifically for their outlet stores. Nothing is worse than loading up on clothes and then at the register finding out the coupon isn\u2019t valid.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Different_Merchandise\"><\/span>Different Merchandise<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>If you go the mall and see a great shirt and think you\u2019ll just go to the outlet store and get it cheaper, think again. Rarely does the outlet store have the same items.<\/p>\n<p>When I shop at Banana Republic, I almost never see the same items in both stores. Many times it is merchandise made specifically for the outlet store. Other times it is last season\u2019s leftovers.<\/p>\n<p>Just recently I was looking for new winter jacket. I found one I loved made by The North Face. Instead of buying it, I took a trip over to the outlet mall where there is a North Face store. When I walked in I was greeted with completely different merchandise. When I asked the clerk about the model of jacket I was looking for, he said they didn\u2019t have it.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Quality_Varies\"><\/span>Quality Varies<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>As mentioned above, some stores make merchandise specifically for the outlet stores. To offer the lower price, the manufacturer will use a lower qualify material. Don\u2019t let this worry you too much. I have not had any issues with the clothing I buy at the outlet stores. If it is a store you have never heard of before, you may want to be a bit hesitant. But a store like Calvin Klein is not going to let their brand be destroyed by using material that is not close to what they use in their main stores.<\/p>\n<p>But with that said, it is important to take note of the clothes in the regular store before heading to the outlets. When I was shopping for a polo shirt, I found the outlet mall version to be very thin and light compared with the store at the regular mall. Same thing for a t-shirt.<\/p>\n<p>I was looking for some low price shirts for working out and doing things around the house in. At the mall, the shirts were $20 and up. At the outlets, the price was $7 but they were so thin they might as well have been an undershirt. It wouldn\u2019t have lasted a year before completely falling apart.<\/p>\n<p>Additionally, sometimes the items in the outlet store are there because they are damaged goods. Usually it is a very slight imperfection, but big enough to warrant it unsellable at the main store. Be sure to look over the item in question to see any possible defects before buying.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Know_The_Return_Policy\"><\/span>Know The Return Policy<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Unlike stores in the shopping mall where as long as the tag is still attached you can return the item, outlet malls are a little different. Many still honor the new with tag return, but others only offer a 90-day or 120-day return. Some don\u2019t allow any returns whatsoever. This is especially true on final markdown or clearance items. Make sure before you purchase something that you are aware of that stores return policy.<\/p>\n<h3><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Final_Thoughts\"><\/span>Final Thoughts<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h3>\n<p>Overall, shopping at outlet malls can yield some great savings. You just have to know what you can expect going in and don\u2019t go in thinking that you can\u2019t find a better deal someplace else. With all of the coupon sites online along with free shipping, many times, shopping online will get you as good of a deal or even better than when shopping at outlet malls. At that point, the key then is to actually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/simplest-way-ever-become-rich\" data-lasso-id=\"1134\">sock away the money you saved<\/a> as opposed to spending it elsewhere.<\/p>\n<p><em>Readers, what deals do you find when shopping at outlet malls?<\/em><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I\u2019m not a huge fan of clothes shopping, but at the same time, I don\u2019t despise it either. I usually will wait until I need some items, stock up and be done with it. My trips usually start out at my local shopping mall where I will buy items depending on how great of a discount I get. From there, I\u2019ll go shopping at outlet mall near my parents and pick up a few more [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}}},"categories":[64],"tags":[12,11,10,36],"disclaimer":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":false,"thumbnail":false,"medium":false,"medium_large":false,"large":false,"1536x1536":false,"2048x2048":false,"wp_review_large":false,"wp_review_small":false,"web-stories-poster-portrait":false,"web-stories-publisher-logo":false,"web-stories-thumbnail":false},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Jon Dulin","author_link":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/author\/jon-dulin"},"uagb_comment_info":9,"uagb_excerpt":"I\u2019m not a huge fan of clothes shopping, but at the same time, I don\u2019t despise it either. I usually will wait until I need some items, stock up and be done with it. My trips usually start out at my local shopping mall where I will buy items depending on how great of a&hellip;","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1696"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1696"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1696\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1696"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1696"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1696"},{"taxonomy":"disclaimer","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.moneysmartguides.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/disclaimer?post=1696"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}