Mirror Mirror on the Wall

with Val Starr

Most people are being very careful how they spend their hard-earned cash at the moment, with prices soaring and the cost of living rising.

For those of us who enjoy spending our money on fashion, we often head to outlet stores to pick up a bargain. Even if it means a drive and parking fees, we feel that it is worth the effort to get our favourite highend or designer brand at a big discount. But is it? TK Maxx

Items labelled with a number for their outlets. The boots 2 are ‘close out’ stock, meaning have the same upper style but they are unsold stock from a a different sole with a larger designer that would have been tread than the Classics. sold at a much higher price Coach is a US high-end store elsewhere. Often designers known for their lovely clothing, manufacture too much stock handbags and accessories. and are left with a surplus, There is a sign on the counter which could result in us getting in their Bicester store stating a great bargain. that the product assortment in

Number 7 items are known all Coach outlet stores is a mix as ‘packaway’, which means of past seasons’ products from they are original items that their branded stores, and new were packed for the previous season products made specifyear. Personally it does not ically for their outlet stores. Not bother me if an item is from many of us read these types of last season – if I like it and it notes but at least they’ve put it suits me, I’ll buy it. out there!

The takeaway here is that the Ralph Lauren is anotherbest bargains to look for are example of a high-end branditems with codes 2 or 7. that sells ranges in their outlets Outlet shops that you might not find in their Here we find another surprise, flagship Bond Street store. especially in the high-end This information does not in designer boutiques. It is often any way mean there are not assumed that goods come great deals to be found, but it from the brand’s main stores, perhaps might make us more but this is not always the case. aware as consumers of what Some items might have ‘OE’ exactly we are buying. I for one on their label, which translates will still head to the outlets to Outlet Exclusive. when I can and rejoice when I

For example, Ugg, a brand find a bargain, as I would not well-known for its boots, want them to go the way of the produce an Essentials range high street! Happy shopping.

Many people, including myself, were surprised that all is not what it seems, so it’s useful to be aware of exactly what you are buying. A favourite for many fashion followers is TK Maxx, which features on most high streets and offers an enormous range of items, often at very tempting prices.

In a recent programme it was discovered that 60% of items in TK Maxx were legitimate ‘close out stock’ – meaning they got a deal on existing unsold stock from another brand – and the remaining 40% is made up of made-to-order contracts.

The key to look out for at TK Maxx is numbers on the right hand corner of the price tags – specifically, numbers 1, 2 and 7. These numbers are a sort of

Number 1 represents a product that has been produced by a brand specifically for TK Maxx, so it may not be quite the same as they would manufacture for their own brand stores. Calvin Klein and DKNY are a couple of examples. This does not mean the product is in any way inferior, but in my opinion it was not quite what I had thought. The Local Answer To advertise call 01242 510500 Page 11