Did you know that you aren’t getting any real “deals” at outlet stores?
Or at off price retailers like TJ Maxx?
Outlet Stores & TJ Maxx Deceiving Ways
I watched an interesting CBC Marketplace investigation on their “Compare At Pricing”, you know, that number on the sales tag that suggests they sell the same item for twice as much at a retail store? That price is apparently just a number they make up. It isn’t based on any facts.
You can read the article here. FYI we call TJ Maxx stores Winners in Canada.
You still need to do your own price comparisons if you want to be sure you are getting a deal.
There is another article on people that sued TJ Maxx in California over their deceptive marketing practises here.
What about those “so called deals” at outlet stores?
Those lower prices you see at outlet stores are for products specifically designed and produced to be sold at outlet stores. They are not the same products you would find at the regular store. They use cheaper fabrics, lower end finishes and cut corners on design features. The items you see at outlet stores aren’t meant to have the same longevity as what you would find at the regular stores. You can read the full article here.
We are being duped.
Next time you head into that outlet store thinking you’re scooping up a real deal think again.
Just another reason to eschew retail shopping and shop secondhand when possible.
Why am I not surprised? We call this chain of shops TK Maxx here and in my town we have two!
I’ve only bought new stuff from them on 3 occasions; one was a handbag and it lasted until I got sick of it, another was a velvet cardigan i still own and wear and the other was a wrap dress that was too long; I never wore it but gave it to a friend instead.
I do like their home ware though…
Have a lovely weekend, Suzanne.
x
I always appreciate reading something that gives me a broader perspective.
Truth be told I’m not all that impressed with the quality of many top price brands either!
I knew that the “outlet malls” were overrated. I never thought the “deals” fit the definition.
I’ll immerse myself in your linked articles later. Thanks Suzanne!
I agree Jude, top brands often don’t have the quality we’ve come to expect either. Seems like quality is an antiquated idea in today’s throw-away fashion world.
yes – i know. a year ago or so i saw a documentary about this case, based on european and german situations…… it said exactly what you have written here.
but coming out of fashion industry i already did suspect this – i know what kind of effort has to go in a quality item.
hooray for the 2.hand shopping – but we will be the last generation who will find quality clothes in thrift stores – because high quality new stuff gets really rare or is died out already………
so stock up on fine clothes – for the next 30 years ;-D
xxxxx
I hope you’re wrong about your thrifting predictions.
There are loads of great pieces still left here to be discovered, the issue is taking the time to find them.
I’ve got some 500 pieces listed in my Etsy store with at least another 400 to list. There is no shortage of quality pieces to thrift but you have to be willing to invest the time to find them. Since time is our most valuable commodity many people aren’t willing to sacrifice it.
Now why doesn’t this surprise me? I’ll keep on vintage and second hand shopping, I think! The quality is usually so much better, anyway. xxx
I agree!
I read this a few years ago- I believe it was in the book “Overdressed: by Elizabeth Cline. It’s crazy what brands will do to sell- and how consumers just eat it up!
I do sometimes buy things from Winners, but I am under no illusion that it is cheaper than anywhere else!
This was a bit of an eye opener to me. I thought those compare at prices were authentic.
This is SO TRUE. There are some retail stores (e.g., Macy’s) I refuse to shop at because their pricing is so deceptive — and deliberately so. In Macy’s they have large sale signs right next to items and, when you get to the cashier, they charge more and say the sale doesn’t apply to that item (even though the sign says it does). Infuriating!
That should be considered deceptive marketing and they should be taken to task on that via the courts. There must be some consumer protection laws regarding deceptive advertising otherwise that other group wouldn’t have settled their case out of court against TJ Maxx in California.
I’d say you made a good choice to simply stop spending your hard earned cash there.
Good post, Suzanne. I suspect that lots of shoppers at Winners or TJ Maxx are happy to wear a big-name brand at a price and quality cheaper than the higher-quality one as long as they can flash the brand name around. Honestly, I get seduced by designer labels when I thrift too. But it’s SO DECEPTIVE to make consumers think this is the SAME THING as in the “real” store.
I agree with Beate that we may be the last generation who can find higher-quality stuff at thrift shops. Lots of these new lower-end products may not even make it around to thrift shops before they fall apart. Time to medicate with chocolate now.
Fast fashion pieces do fill the racks at the thrift stores however I am able to still find great pieces hidden amongst the garbage.
Vintage is still the best way to go I think but it is becoming harder to find.
Designer labels aren’t all we think they are, even the “real” ones. Aside from Hermes I don’t know many other high end brands that still put the kind of love and quality we expect from those insane price points. Many of them are made in the same Chinese factories as lower end brands.
Yes, I read about this a few years ago though I don’t have access to any outlet stores and Winners is still sometimes an option as in my small town there is Winners, WalMart, Mark’s and a handful of independent clothing shops that cater to the very young or the senior snowbirds. The second hand shops have been carrying mostly low end stuff since forever. So unlike what Beate and Melanie experience and despite my being in the same generation, I have already given up on second hand for the most part as the good finds are so rare. There are many things to enjoy about living in a small town on Vancouver Island. Great stylish clothing isn’t one of them.
You must live a ways outside of Victoria. I know Sheila from Ephemera does very well at the thrift shops in the Victoria.
We lived in Victoria for a while and contemplated moving to Nanaimo. I was worried about the shopping situation there at the time and that was before I started thrifting.
You are right, there are pros and cons to living in a smaller community on the Island. For my part I’d move back to Victoria without hesitation.
I read some time ago about the outlet stores and how they make lesser quality brand name clothing specifically for them. So I’ve not stepped foot in one since. The retail market is very competitive, so I guess brands and stores will resort to any kind of tactic to bring in sales. Sad really how the retail landscape has changed. I’ve been relying more and more on vintage, thrifting and sewing since it’s getting harder and harder to find really good quality new stuff anymore that’s within my budget.
Theresa
I do think vintage is the way to go for guaranteed quality.
If I had the patience to sew I’d try that but since my grade nine Home Ec. wrap skirt was a disaster I haven’t tried my hand at it since.
I was well aware of this as far back as 1977. My first retail fashion job was at a fast fashion (it wasn’t called that then) boutique called Strawberries in NYC. (It still exists!) The merch came in with the “marked down” tags preprinted.
I must confess that the company where I design prints has supplied both TJ Maxx and outlet stores with items meeting specific price parameters. Same for Amazon and all the big box stores like Costco.
I believe items even go into Department Stores with the same “Sale” tags. It’s retail psychology — when one sees a markdown (even if one knows it’s fake), it seems like a better deal. Same with $19.99 vs $20.00.
Isn’t that interesting? Being “on the inside” means you get to see what many of us do not.
There is a whole psychology behind how and why we shop.
I am annoyed at myself when I feel I’ve allowed myself to be tricked into buying something I didn’t need because I thought I was getting a very good deal.
That is a new one for me: clothes especially designed and manufactured for outlet stores! Wow, that good brands even consider this! Idiots.
Greetje
Yes, apparently they all do it all the while knowing that it is misleading. People believe they are buying the real product when in fact they are buying lower end pieces.
They said one of the ways to know is if you go into an outlet store and they have loads of the same pieces in different sizes. If it were truly “last ends” there would only be one or two available.