07.05.2022 | Просмотров: 411
How did outlet stores come to be and how have they changed? And why do you care about the environment when you shop at outlet stores? Tatiana Reshetnik, a correspondent of The Blueprint, tells about the history and structure of outlet stores, and Svetlana Tanakina, director of fashion, gives a brief instruction on how to buy in them.
Pants by Givenchy (TSUM Discount), 19,950 rub
PULOVER by Givenchy (TSUM Discount), 24,950 rub
LEVI'S hat, 1,400 rub
Marc Jacobs blouse (TSUM Discount), 15,600 rubles.
First outlet stores - stores where you could buy the collections of different brands at significant discounts outside the official sale period - appeared in the U.S. back in the 30s. At first regular sales were held only for company employees - those who worked in the offices of the brands or were involved in production. And the events themselves were held directly in factories and manufactories.
HUGO BOSS suit (TSUM Discount), 34,250 rub
Soon the audience of customers expanded, and now everyone could get the desirable thing with an attractive price tag. The first outlet of the modern type opened in 1936 - it belonged to the American menswear brand Anderson Little and was located near the town of Fall River. In 1974 the VF Corporation opened the first multi-brand outlet in Reading, Pennsylvania. In it you could find men's and women's clothing, shoes and accessories of many brands. The outlet, by the way, is still open today.
After that America was swept by a wave of outlet mania: from 1980s to 1990s all over the country opened dozens of shopping centers, where you could update your closet, find things for the house and cosmetics, baby products and even furniture. Discounts varied from brand to brand and depended on the novelty of the collection, but were rarely below 30% (and usually did not exceed 70%). Outlets started to appear in Canada at the end of the 1980s, and in Europe in the middle of the noughties. And in Russia, the first outlet appeared in 2012. It was the Outlet Village Belaya Dacha.
Sleeveless blouse Marni (TSUM Discount), 14,800 rub
Theory skirt (TSUM Discount), 13,500 rub
Pants by Givenchy (TSUM Discount), 19,950 rub
Sleeveless blouse Marni (TSUM discount), 14,800 rub
As a rule, outlets are located outside the city, because in the center of the area of such size simply can not be found, and resemble cozy towns with one-storey houses-shops. The standard area of an outlet is a couple of hundred thousand square meters, on which you will find entertainment for the whole day. Besides the bargain shopping, which is the main reason why people come here, the Fashion Towns usually have restaurants, cafes and coffee houses, so that the visitors can relax after the shopping marathon and think about their purchases over a coffee. There are playgrounds and centers for children, where babysitters and animators take care of the kids. Often in outlet stores you can get a manicure, haircut, hair styling or massage (which is very helpful after the walk with the bags full of purchases). And on weekends, there are concerts, lectures and even exhibitions.
LEVI'S hat, 1,400 rub
Bag by Cerruti (TSUM Discount), 7,525 rub
In Moscow, Outlet Village Belaya Dacha (and in St. Petersburg, Outlet Village Pulkovo) has been operating according to this principle since 2012. It is more than a dozen bright houses hiding about 180 mono- and multi-brand stores. Brands range from adidas, United Colors of Benetton and Camper to Calvin Klein, Lacoste, Maje, Michael Kors and Pinko. In addition to clothing, shoes and accessories the outlet has a cosmetics store "L'Etoile", a selection of sports brands (Quicksilver, Puma, Ecco and so on) and nice little things for the home from Villeroy & Boch and Williams & Oliver. Next door to the stores are outlets with the food that's most enjoyable to eat outdoors - doughnuts and churros, hot dogs and Belgian waffles. Sometimes on weekends there are concerts and master classes on the territory of the outlet.
HUGO Boss suit (TSUM Discount), 34,250 rub
And yet, the main thing that people come to outlet stores for is the sales and actions. Every brand itself decides on the discount size and even within one store it may differ depending on the novelty of the collection, but in general they vary from 30 to 70 %.
You may as well find here the classics that are re-released by brands from season to season, as well as items from the list of "hot trends", which will be at the top in the next couple of months. The latter have a chance to find the maximum discount, and basic items are usually 30-50% off, but worth the investment, because they will be relevant in a couple of seasons.
In outlet stores, it makes sense to bet on expensive and high-quality items that you plan to use regularly: for example, beautiful china, travel bags, leather shoes and laconic winter clothes. You'll find them all at mid-range and luxury brands for practically nothing less than mass market prices.
If you do not want to miss such discounts, it is worth to follow the social networks of "Outlet Village Belaya Dacha" and subscribe to the outlet's mailing list, and also ask your favorite stores when they have new supplies. The fresh collection may not drop in price as significantly as the basic assortment, but you will have more choice.
It's also worth keeping an eye on seasonality. Traditionally, global sales are held by brands in late summer to fall, before the New Year and just after. Outlets are no exception: in the season additional discounts are added to the regular ones. Holidays and weekends are another reason for special promotions or sales.
To go to an outlet, you need a plan of action, an understanding of what exactly you have come for and what you would like to buy, which segment of goods and which brands are of interest to you. It is a good idea to understand the location of the stores themselves, so that you can plan your route and make the most of your time. Shopping is tiring and concentration is lost, so it is better to start with those stores that are more important in terms of your objectives.
The outlet stores are convenient because they have a much larger selection of things than the seasonal sales. Also the possibility to find the sizes you need increases, because they are essentially different stores (often monobrands) with things from past collections, in which a lot of the same basic things that is more pleasant to buy at a discount than to pay full price in a store of the same brand.
The difference is that seasonal sales are for those who are in love with specific things from the current season and want to buy a particular thing at a discount. Outlets, on the other hand, allow you to make shopping more general: as a rule, if you go to an outlet, you plan to buy more than one thing, and you are more likely to look in different directions - shoes, clothes, lingerie, dishes, luggage. "Outlet Village Belaya Dacha" is also good for family shopping, there are many stores with products for children.
There are priceless finds at the outlet - jeans that you dreamed of but missed at the seasonal sale, or something of outerwear, for example, a classic tweed jacket. If there are a lot of brands in the outlet, you should focus on those that you are confident in and that you love. I would advise to invest in classics - those things that form the basis of your closet and that you will wear in everyday life. If you feel confident that literally tomorrow, if the weather conditions are right, you are ready to wear this thing - then you can definitely think about it: it's worth putting it aside and then evaluate all your finds and choose the things that are closest to you in style and spirit. If you understand that in front of you is a thing designed for single occasions, or something that you just think it is beautiful, but you do not wear it - it is better to discard the idea and continue looking. Often there is no reason to wear this thing, because it is just not your thing.
Of course, for large companies it is more profitable to send things to outlet stores than to just dispose of them - even with a 70% discount they will bring income to the brand. For buyers it is not only an opportunity to save money, but also a chance to take care of the environment. Buying things from expensive brands (even with a significant discount), you can count on a decent service life of the item - a coat of fine wool, a dress of natural silk or a carefully cut jacket of quality fabric will last more than one season and even years later will be pleasing to the eye. As a matter of fact, collections in outlet stores are the same things, which just recently were on the shelves of boutiques (but were not sold out because of an excess of sizes, for example).