[HauteMama]

When I was at the outlet over the weekend I was chatting with the manager there. I mentioned that I was hesitating to go back to the boutique at all because of the products they were getting and how fast they received them. He said that they got the deleted colors and that they received returns from boutique stores. He said that the boutiques never resold returns, like the gifts people returned from the holidays, even if they were brand-new with tags.

Anyone know if this is true? It doesn't really matter to me, as an item in perfect condition is an item in perfect condition to me, regardless of whether someone had her in a box at home for a week or not. But I didn't realize that boutiques boxed up every single returned item they got and sent them to outlet! Of course, when boutique shopping I do insist on items in their original plastic, so perhaps everyone else does, too!

[coachfreak]

I have heard this too!
Can't remember where. Can SAs confirm?

[abitzberger]

Yes it is true. When I worked at a factory store we got a ton of new merchandise from the full price stores because of returns.

[wendie]

that is how I got a deal on my baby carly! The SA at the outlet told me the story...she said the boutique cant resell them because they were returned...regardless of the tags or anything!

[HauteMama]

Thanks for the confirmation! No wonder my outlet has such great things all the time!

And I know that outlets only received deleted colors of Bleecker items, but it just seems SO fast that they went to outlet. Legacy 2006 took forever. Maybe everyone is thinking spring/summer bags, but I am totally a winter bag person, so the whites and pastels don't do a thing for me. I'll be haunting my outlet for a while!

[coachgrl]

That is ridiculous and costly! I'm going to check with my SAs to try to get a better understanding.

I mean, I certainly don't want a bag that has been used. But on the otherhand, if I have a bag to return, she's barely made it out of the packaging so nothing has happened to her. Now I hear that she's put i a box to go to the Outlet? More than likely she was Limited Edition, too! Damn, I mean, Wow!

[finecabernet]

As far as I've seen this is untrue. We rewrap unused bags the stores currently carry and put them back into inventory. The only time they are returned to factory stores is if they are no longer current merchandise.

[TinksDelite]

Not true... Two examples:
I was at the boutique not a month ago. A customer commented that she'd missed out on one of the denim patchwork styles.. she described it to the SA. A minute later she came out from the back with the bag, commented that a person had returned it yesterday. She rang her up & off she went, happy as a clam!

Day after Christmas I returned a Tattersall Muffler.. as I was returning it a customer asked another SA if they had anymore, she said 'no' but that I was returning, not buying & would she like to purchase it?

Of course YMMV..

[fieldsinspring]

I have seen the full price bags at the outlets but usually there are only a couple and have always been told those were full price bags that were returned AT the outlet store.

[handbag*girl]

I bought a bag in Seattle Wa. that had a hand written tag on it and when I got it home I noticed that the feet on it were scuffed up. The bag had clearly been used. I returned it and did not purchase a replacement as I had just gotten a PCE card and wanted to wait to get the discount. When I went back to the store during PCE time to purchase the bag they gave me the SAME ONE! Same handwritten tag and same scuffed feet. They said it was the only one they had in stock. Needless to say I would say returns get resold.

[fluffy614]

I returned the magenta Bleecker duffle last weekend to the KOP Coach store. While I was waiting for my return to process the one SA took the bag and put a new ticket on it, I guess because of the price change and the bag went out on the floor for sale.
I'll have to ask the next time I talk to my SA and she what she says.

[HauteMama]

Hmm, then maybe I misunderstood the outlet mgr or maybe he wasn't clear about what they get and when. I know that outlets sell new styles that are returned at outlet, and I know they sometimes sell new merchadise that is damaged. They carry current lines in deleted colors (i.e. the Bleecker styles currently at outlet) and past lines that are unavailable for order anymore.

Maybe boutique returns are at the manager's discretion about whether to keep or send to outlet?

[coachfreak]

Originally Posted by HauteMama

Hmm, then maybe I misunderstood the outlet mgr or maybe he wasn't clear about what they get and when. I know that outlets sell new styles that are returned at outlet, and I know they sometimes sell new merchadise that is damaged. They carry current lines in deleted colors (i.e. the Bleecker styles currently at outlet) and past lines that are unavailable for order anymore.

Maybe boutique returns are at the manager's discretion about whether to keep or send to outlet?

No girl, I am with you. I will ask my mom if she remembers where I heard it. I remember we had a long discussion after we found this out. We were discussing it from a profit margin perspective from the store.

[Taralindsey]

I don't think this is always the case. I had a red patent ergo hobo that I returned when they were completely sold out The next day I walked by the boutique that I returned it to and there is was in the window!!! I know it was mine because they were all sold out at the time and this boutique didn't have it the day before!

[sissabelle]

Maybe they only keep the current styles that they're out of or have very few in stock, but send the ones in excess or from past seasons to the outlet? Just a guess from reading everyone's responses so far