High End Chains Trying Not to Discount Polo Shirts

Friday 27th of August 2010 01:35:45 PM

High End Chains Trying Not to Discount Polo Shirts

You can go online and find all the high quality clothing you want or need and get it at a reasonable price. But there are brick-and-mortar stores that don’t like discounting because an important component of their image is the prices attached to the clothes and accessories. You won’t find cheap t-shirts at stores like Lord & Taylor or Saks Inc. These stores sell expensive clothes and don’t want to get into the discounting business since it tarnishes their image and cuts into profits.

Now some of these stores have found a way to attract more customers to their high end brands without lowering prices. They are starting outlet stores. But unlike outlet stores in the past that sold overstocked items, these high end outlets sell merchandise made just to be sold in the outlets. Saks has already opened one new outlet store and has plans for more. Merchandise sold as outlet-only generally runs 30 percent to 70 percent lower in price as compared to the products sold in the full price stores.

So why are the high end retailers taking this outlet route? It’s because sales are down even at stores that cater to wealthier clients and it’s because of the recession. It seems everyone is getting frugal these days and consumers at all socio-economic levels are shopping for good deals. The outlet stores are popular shopping venues whether looking for polo shirts or cocktail dresses.

Of course, the best clothing deals are often found online. Outlet stores are for those shoppers who want to take the occasional foray into a store and look at merchandise first hand. And sometimes there are true bargains to be found at the outlet stores. But the high end outlet stores are all about finding a new level of customers that are not as affluent as their existing customers and are also possibly younger than the average age of their current customers. Seems this is yet another impact of the recession.