Outlet shopping is always a roll of the dice. You can either win big or leave empty-handed (or wallet-ed). After years of canvasing Woodbury Common, I have devised a few healthy outlet shopping rules:
1. Go in with a shopping allowance. It’s never a good idea to spend money you don’t have but the regret of overspending is usually not worth even the best purchase. If you spend less than your “allowance” you can feel good and apply that extra money to something else you’ve been craving.
2. Just because it’s cheap, doesn’t mean you need to own it. Many times there is a reason why an item is reduced so significantly. I definitely never needed three sets of Prada ankle gauntlets even at $25 each. I suppose they are cool but I’ve had them in the original box for about 17-years and still never used them.
3. Beware of made-for-outlet merchandise. Even the brands like Bottega Veneta and Pradaproduce merchandise specifically for the outlet. At Prada, you can distinguish the outlet items because they will be marked “made in China”. At Bottega, the giveaway is multiple colorways of the same bag or shoe. Both aren’t necessarily bad but you should be aware of what you’re buying.
4. Be aware of retail pricing and markdown ranges. Many stores offer discounts that aren’t as steep as what a savvy shopper can find at stores during the sale season. As a matter of fact, lots of current merchandise can be found for less right now at your local department store. Past season merchandise was often reduced much more dramatically before it went to the outlet.
5. Always ask if there is an upcoming promotion and take the business card of your sales associate. Outlets tend to get overcrowded during holiday weekends and promotional times and it’s always good to have a contact name to call if you’re looking for something specific in the future. Also, you never know when you’ll have non-buyers regret and want to have an item shipped to you.
Now that we have some shopping guidelines, Thursday starts the July 4th holiday weekend and there are lots of extra discounts. Below are specifics at a variety of stores with contact emails. You can click here to see pictures from inside some stores.
Celine
Most merchandise is 40% off and for the holiday the outlet is offering 3xtra 30% off Spring/Summer 2020 or up to 70% off older collections
Dior
Most merchandise is 50% off and for the holiday weekend, the outlet will offer an extra 30% off.
Dominic (kkudo@christiandior.com)
Loewe
Discounts go up to 40% off and for the July 4th holiday, the Paula collection will be discounted an additional 20%. Take note, MatchesFashion has much better pricing for this collection.
Golden Goose
All shoes and sneakers are 40% off. There are no promotions scheduled. Sizing is spotty and most styles are only available in size 25 or 40/41.
storeny-wb@flag-ggdb.com
Bottega Veneta
The outlet discount is 40% off on many items. Most of the selection is very old and real castoffs. There are a few structured Tomas Maier bags, are available by request, that are priced at $1000 from $4000. The made-for-outlet bags are not a horrible option for fans looking for a good buy.
Fei fei.huang@bottegaveneta.com
Prada
Discounts range up to 40% off. There is a holiday promotion but none of the sales associates would share the information. Most of the merchandise is aged and reduced far less than could otherwise be found at the end of the season. Items marked “made in China” are produced for the outlet. If you’re lucky enough to be in the “neighborhood” the Florence outlet offers a lot better discounts but is also hit-or-miss.
outlet.woodbury@prada.com
