Kids grow so fast which can make paying premium prices forretail clothing a major burden on your budget. If you’re a mom looking for abargain, don’t assume outlet stores will help you get high-quality clothing ata discount. Did you know most popular children’s clothing brands, includingGap, Children’s Place, and Gymboree stock entirely different quality clothes attheir outlet stores? Read on to learn how to avoid buying low-quality, “foroutlet” clothing and for a better way to save on quality childrens’ clothing.
Many popular brands produce what’s called “factory goods”-clothing produced solely for sale at outlet stores. Factory goods usually donot meet the same quality standards that the clothing brand is known for. Theyutilize low-quality fabrics, less robust stitching, non-functional drawstrings,and cheap buttons or zippers. Leather factory goods, such as shoes, are oftenproduced using low-quality leather. The Federal Trade Commission has no rulesfor the marketing or labeling these clothes, especially because most outletstores are refer to their stores are an outlet brand (as opposed to bearing thestandard brand signage). The New York Times has noted that this practice hasbeen around since at least 1997.
If you look closely, brands even admit to producing outlet store brands, or lesser versions of their regular inventory. J.Crew Factory’swebsite states that their clothing is “basedon (full-price) products sold in previous seasons", aka the clothingis a knockoff of previous authentic styles. The Children's Place company haspreviously stated that up to 80% of the clothing in their outlet stores isproduced specifically for sale in the outlet. Even if the price tag makes theitem seem originally expensive, remember that the listed MSRP can be whateverthe store wants it to be. It doesn’t mean that the item is really worth thatmuch or that it was ever listed for that price at a retail store. FYI- discountretailers such as T.J. Maxx and Nordstrom Rack also label their inventory thisway.
To avoid buying lesser-quality factory goods, inspect thetags of outlet store clothing closely. Gymboree Outlet brand clothing has groupof orange dots for its outlet brand, while the Gap Outlet brand label includesthree squares. Next, check out the clothing’s price tag. Many brands will have"Factory" printed on the price tag if it’s from their factory goodsinventory. Factory indications can be found on both sew-on clothing labels andattached tags with product descriptions.
Would you havenoticed the outlet store brand markings on this Gymboree tag?
Notice the tell-talemarkings of an outlet store brand on these babyGap and Gap Kids tags.
Make sure you know what comparable inventory costs from theretailer to ensure your discount is authentic. Check the brand’s website, app,or do a Google image search for the piece of clothing to see how online pricescompare. Investigate how many outlet stores the brand has. The more outletstores around the country or state, the more likely it is that the companyproduces lesser-quality clothing specifically for their outlet stores.
Savvy moms can also examine the stitched logo of theclothing. Is it different from the usual brand’s logo? Finally, when buying brand name clothes on eBay or other resale marketplaces, make sure to ask for pictures of the label if they are not already included.
The smartest way to get quality children’s clothing is toshop resale. Resale options will carry authentic, high-quality brands but atdiscounted prices. Many resale items are left-over inventory or never-usedgifts.
Berri Kids Boutiquecarries new, like-new, and gently used children’s clothing at sharp discounts.We stock top-quality children’s brands and never sell cheap factory goods.Every piece of clothing is inspected to ensure quality, working zippers, nofabric imperfections such as stains, holes, or discoloration. Visit our online store today!
