A few outlet questions from a newbie :)

B

Bookworm117

Member
Feb 11, 2010
18
0
#1
Hello, all! :smile: I've been lurking for a few weeks and have learned a lot from you guys (and now much buy my first bag in almost a YEAR (!!!) because of you. :P

I'm going to the outlet in Iowa this weekend- I've never been to an outlet, I've just either bought my bags at a Coach store or a department store. I've read the differing opinions on the Iowa outlet, but it's the only one close to me, so I don't have much choice.

Anyway, I read the outlet thread, but I still have some questions.
1) Can anyone explain what the sales are like? I have the coupon, but sometimes I see people talk about things being 30 or 50% off- is it the entire store, or certain tables? Does it vary by store or does it tend to be roughly the same at every store?

2) What are you seeing at the outlets right now? Again, does this vary or is it the same for most outlets? I'd like to see pics of the things that will likely be there so I can do some thinking before I get in the store and lose my mind. :yahoo:

3) Nosy question, but what have you bought lately, and what were the prices? It's a 2 hour drive, but I'd like to do some other shopping anyway...but if the savings aren't much I might as well just look at the Coach store here.

Thanks for your patience with a newbie. ;)
 
#2
Welcome! :smile: I am a newbie to pf too but have been a Coach fan for years...in the area I used to live in the outlets were closer than full price stores so shopped them more often than any full price store. I have gotten some INCREDIBLE DEALS there (Grey Legacy Shoulder Bag Style No. 12705 retailed for 798 and I snagged it for 166) The trick is to shop in the "clearance area" usually most store have one at the very back. These items are already reduced and are then an extra 50% off. Also most of these items are full-price products and not factory store items. For example you might see a platinum crackle maggie like I did last time I was there. The rest of the store the items on the tables or in the cubbie walls are 30-40% off for the most part. And this percent off is of the regular price.
So.....if you want to find some good ideas look through the clearance section first and to get some great reduced full priced items : )
At most outlets in my area there are some madison items, garnets, couple tribecas, and some poppy items too like the book totes. If you are looking for factory products the zoes are always there as well as the standard hamptons items too. Sorry don't have any pics though.
I haven't been having much luck at the outlets lately...then again I have too many handbags and am very picky about what I invest in. The last great item I found was a Red Patent Bleeker Street Peyton for $300 (it retailed at 900) and that was last August.
I hope you have fun there though and find some great deals!! It is worth the drive and just fun to look at everything sometimes haha. I once drove 2.5 hours to chicago just to exchange my carly for the exotic embossed maggie in black last november hahaha. My husband said it was a little crazy.
Good luck to you!
 
#4
The outlets are great! I just recently bought a Jade Audrey for about 220 and a Pop C Poppy Spotlight for around 170ish. I was checking them both out in the FP store so I was pumped to see them at the outlet for such a good price. Ive seen some Maggies there as well as a ton of Leah and Poppy bags. The discounts and % off is done usually by wall or table. SAs are usually great in helping you figure out the final price. They also have a current coupon going on for an additional 20% of everything until the 21st!

Happy shopping....remember to post some pics for us when you come back!
 
#5
Hi and Welcome!!!

I have never been to any other outlet except for the one in Albertville, MN. I wish I lived closer to more!!! LOL
The outlets can be fun especially for the first time!! It is weird because as far I as I remember, the outlets didn't start offering the extra coupon on things until like March or April of 2009 and it was only on clearance but now it is on every thing!!! They also have come out more frequently!!!
As far as merchandise - They have MFF bags and some FP deletes. Each outlet is different!!! The Poppy and Claires and Audreys are 30% and then 20% coupon. Other bags that I have seen Redlined clearance within the last month or two, are the Patent Sabrinas, Regular Leather Sabrinas, Inlaid Op Art Brooke, Patent Maggies, Regular Maggies, Garnets and Cambridge Hobos.
Good luck!!! I hope you find what you like!!!!

Lynne :biggrin:
 
#6
Bookworm117 said:
Hello, all! :smile: I've been lurking for a few weeks and have learned a lot from you guys (and now much buy my first bag in almost a YEAR (!!!) because of you. :P

I'm going to the outlet in Iowa this weekend- I've never been to an outlet, I've just either bought my bags at a Coach store or a department store. I've read the differing opinions on the Iowa outlet, but it's the only one close to me, so I don't have much choice.

Anyway, I read the outlet thread, but I still have some questions.
1) Can anyone explain what the sales are like? I have the coupon, but sometimes I see people talk about things being 30 or 50% off- is it the entire store, or certain tables? Does it vary by store or does it tend to be roughly the same at every store?

2) What are you seeing at the outlets right now? Again, does this vary or is it the same for most outlets? I'd like to see pics of the things that will likely be there so I can do some thinking before I get in the store and lose my mind. :yahoo:

3) Nosy question, but what have you bought lately, and what were the prices? It's a 2 hour drive, but I'd like to do some other shopping anyway...but if the savings aren't much I might as well just look at the Coach store here.

Thanks for your patience with a newbie. ;)
Click to expand...

Hi bookworm! I live close to the IA outlet. Everything in the store is discounted to a certain percentage, with or without the coupon. There are tables with signs and shelves with signs that say how much the discount is. The discount varies from table to table.

The clearance section is 50% off. It's located in the back left corner of the store. I haven't found anything good in this section for many months.

I was there a few weeks ago and the store had just begun putting out Poppy stuff: totes, groovys, wristlets, swingpacks. There were also a few stray Sabrinas, Audreys and Juliannes in op art.

Let me know if you want any other info! lovecoachmore is also a frequent IA outlet shopper. :smile:
 
#7
Easy helpful hints:
If you don't know a price or discount, ask... and if you don't get someone that knows their stuff, keep asking till you get someone that is confident.
Dig deep, look in drawers, under and behind other bags. Ask to see "unique" pieces that they might have only one of, or if there's extra of xx or yy in the back or in another color/style.
 
#10
LOL, I'm not like overly obvious about it, but some outlets look at it differently :smile:
Click to expand...
I try to be slick, but that's not really in my nature :smile:. Plus, my usual outlet (Atlantic City, NJ) is often a zoo, so I think the SAs are just trying to make sure no one trashes the place. Once I explain exactly what I'm after, and they get a sense I know what I'm taking about, it is usually OK.
 
#11
I call DD drawer diver,

She loves to look in the drawers & always finds something, usually the SA says, "where did you find that? As in, "I didn't even know we had that". She, DD, is 15 so it's not like a child rummaging around. She opens & looks, she doesn't paw. One outlet we go too joins in the joke that she is drawer diver, the other they glue themselves to your butt & get nervous.

We were both amazed the day a customer opened one of the drawers under the 50% off wallets & proceeded to take the whole row of a certain wallet, one quarter of the drawer, no 3 item limit for her!
 
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