Hi! I used to work at banana republic and along with Gap they both have “factory” stores which is the gap and banana that you see at an outlet. Where they make the same style but in a cheaper fabric, it’s not a “conspiracy” it’s a known fact! At least gap inc from what I know, has never tried to hide that!
I work at Gap Factory and I can confirm we don't try to hide that we aren't the same. In fact we can't take back stuff from the flag ship store (which can cause some major arguments) because our product is different. I do understand the confusion though! I have to explain it to a lot of customers.
I work at an Old Navy outlet and they're the same company as Gap and BR, but Old Navy outlets sell the exact same items as the flagship stores plus some outlet exclusive items. As far as Old Navy goes, the only difference between the outlets and regular stores is that the outlets have outlet exclusive sales! Gap and BR do sell completely different clothes in their outlets and flagship stores though which is interesting. Not sure why ON does it differently.
You should do this video for a Tj Maxx I bought a purse there for $50 and I was just going to buy a new purse and saw the same one for $160 in the actual store!
I've noticed things like that too! Sometime you could get ordinarily very pricy brand name stuff for real cheap at TJ Maxx, I'm curious if it's actually legit though lol
Yes me too! I got a Tommy Hilfiger bubble jacket for $100 at Tj Maxx where it retailed for $185 in the real store. (I’m in Canada so prices are obviously higher all round)
Former retail manager here! A lot of times companies do make specific lines just for their outlets. Michael Kors for example has specific items made for outlets. Same for francesca’s.
I just want to put it out there.. I got my first pair of riding boots from Tory Burch when I was 15 and I still wear them and I’m almost 22 and they look and wear fine. You’re paying for genuine leather and quality and as long as you take care of them they’re going to last! I see spending that much money as an investment and it pays off well. I know I definitely got my money’s worth for them.
At Kate Spade items from the outlet won’t have a raised spade, it’s just a stamp. The flagship store items will have the raised spade. That proves they are made for the outlet!
I have a Kate Spade wallet from the outlet and it has all raised logo but I honestly only got it because I liked the camels on it, not really a name brand person.
Sultana Beads this is actually 100% NOT the case anymore! I’ve worked at the outlet for 3 years now, and we now have completely identical logos to all of the full price bags. Raised all metal lettering, the sing,e raised spade, it’s all on our bags now and we’ve almost completely stopped using the stamped logo. In fact, a lot of full price collections now use the stamp, or stitched logo, as well as the nicer raised branding. The ONLY way to tell the difference between a bag from the outlet vs a bag from the retail store is the SKU/style number on the inner pocket stitched into the lining. Outlet bags have a different 4 letter code at the beginning than retail :)
Tip: When a store has a bogo sale, buy 2 (even if you only want one.) Then return the 2nd item. Every store I have ever shopped at applies the discount equally between both items (specifically for return value!) You will end up getting the first item with the same percent of discount that your entire original purchase was.
I worked at Nordstrom and it was so cool to see that they actually send the items from the Nordstrom to the Nordstrom rack. Anytime things were “racked” we would place them in the mail room to be sent out to Nordstrom rack. That being said Nordstrom rack does have its own brands only sold at the rack.
I used to work at an outlet store and everything there was made specifically for the outlet store. It was rare to get items from retail. Usually when stores use the word "factory" instead of "outlet" it means that the product was made for that store and that it's not leftovers from retail. You can usually tell the difference between the factory product and the retail product by looking at the tag too. Many brands will use two diamonds under the brand name on the tag if it's factory, and a retail version won't have that. This was so interesting to see how different brands approach this. Based on the places you visited it seems like the higher end brand outlets are more like true outlets and mid range brands make completely different product.
There’s an AEO factory store by me and it’s literally the exact same as the regular American eagle store! Like same styles and same sales. I’m not sure if they’re all like this.
I'm not sure about in the states but I work at an aerie in Canada. Our outlet store is split into 2 parts, 1) new arrivals/regular price and 2) clearance. Many of our stores have small clearance sections but it doesnt all sell through, in which case we would send clearance items to the outlet store. So the outlet stores end up with clearance items from previous seasons that didnt sell in other stores.
Yeah it’s the same in the AEO in the states. Every season we scan through items that didn’t sell and send them out to our outlets for hella discount. Sometimes they just go to other stores like tj max or marshals as well, just depends how many seasons behind an item is
@@queenofpeassYeah, I know shes not wasteful and I really appreciate that. I wasn't coming at her, I was just saying I just wish I had that much money to spend on one shopping trip!
Would be nice to be able to spend that much on shopping. She did say she was returning the Kate Spade flats but I'm sure the money she makes on this video more than covers the cost...
I went to a Kate Spade outlet once that had 40% off everything, plus a 20%off military discount and that is the story of how I got a wallet for like 45 bucks!
The Kate Spade website had a HUGE "surprise" sale a few weeks ago. I think it was 75% off select items. I got a shoulder bag-wallet combo for $129! They have a lot great sales.
Angie Laing I worked for KS and most of the time the merch sold during their 75% off sale online is the outlet/factory merchandise. I know it sounds super weird because it’s sold on the full price store website but the quality is slightly lower and it’s manufactured to be sold at a lower price point. That being said there’s cute stuff at both!
Also I seriously was thinking while I was watching this how much work it was. You and Skyler did a great job and you should definitely be proud of creating this content.
I used to work for Armani exchange some things were made just for outlet but most things were transferred from the stores. It would be the “out of season” stuff but not really bc the original price store was 1 season ahead aka they would release summer in the spring so when it got to the outlet in the summer it would be the summer collection and it would be anywhere from 30%-70% off.
My favorite outlet store is the Vera Bradley outlets. Usually get around 70% off. Typically they care patterns or designs that are going out of style. Love love love
I used to work at a lane Bryant and as far as I know it was shared knowledge to everyone that the stuff made for the main stores and the stuff made for the outlets were NEVER the same and it was a very rare thing if we sent something to an outlet that was out of season or not selling. They’re completely separate things, no one has ever tried to hide that.
I work at an outlet store, and we actually get completely different product from our specialty store it's not unsold product like it's a whole different product
Google is your best friend when it comes to outlet/discount shopping! If you’re considering buying an item, look it up first to see if it was ever actually sold at full price by the brand or by a department store. Also, if the original price you find online is significantly cheaper than their normal retail goods, you can also infer that it is an inferior product. It can be hard to know 100% in some cases, but it’s a good start!
This is one of my favorite videos you've ever posted! I never thought that brands would make outlet lines and things would be less quality and it was wild to see an item so much cheaper at the flagship!
I keep seeing the comments for people saying you went over budget at GAP. The budget was literally only for the outlet stores, you were comparing prices between the outlet and flagship stores. I don’t get how people don’t understand that 😂 Love you Sierra! You’re my favorite!
You're correct!!! I went to school for fashion merchandising. It typically is not unsold merchandise, it is clothing specifically made for the outlet stores. That's why you can't return items purchased at outlets stores directly to the retailer
Hi sierra! Im a huge fan of you but I only shop at sustainable and secondhand/thrift shops for ethical and environmental reasons. Can you make a video on this kind of fashion? I think your style is awesome and I am wondering what u would find out there!
Super late comment, but I just found your channel! I used to work for Vera Bradley and it was confirmed that most items in the outlet stores were MFO or Made for Outlet. Some of the mfo items had different features like fewer pockets, different stitching or were missing some small details (for example the pill holders in the outlet didn’t have a clear ID slot for information while the full line ones did). I would always tactfully tell customers who would come into our store with the idea that they would just go to the outlet that the products were different. However, when some patterns retired, we did send certain items to our outlet. They are now doing away with that and aiming for strictly factory outlet exclusive items. They’re cheaper to make, which is why they can sell them at a discounted rate. However, they put the full line prices to make it seem like an amazing deal. Love your videos!
I love the love for TB!! I used to work at the Tory Outlet and most of what we carry is previous season’s styles/collections that are no longer in full price stores! There’s usually one specific collection made just for outlet but other than that everything is past seasons merchandise!
I buy all my Levis jeans from the Levi’s outlet, and I have definitely noticed a lot of differences in sizing. Definitely worth it in the end! Buying $10-30 jeans as opposed to the normal $100.
I love how she just jumps into talking about what she’s doing instead of like a 10 minute “hey what’s up you guys so yesterday blah blah blah happened to me!” It took me by surprise how fast she jumped into it!
I worked at Gap Factory for 5 years. And I can tell you that Gap retail and Gap Factory are completely different stores. We have our own product and everything, and Gap Factory can't take returns from Gap retail. But we do carry some of the same items for cheaper. Gap doesn't try to hide the fact that they are different stores. It's just like how Gap and Old navy are the same company but different brands. :)
I've worked at the Michael Kors outlet for 4 years and it's the same exact thing. Completely different lines but it's not a secret and we don't accept cross-over returns
I’ve worked in retail my entire life and I can shed some light on the “outlet” vs full price/full line stores in general - there’s obviously some differences depending on the store BUT the merch that stores get in are mostly “special purchase” items bought or made only for the off price store- a good example is J Crew. The small % of items at the off price stores are transfers from the full line stores- there’s only so many mds a store can take and sit on before it becomes non profitable for the store- so it’s sent out .... Pps. Im loving your content- watching everything since I saw your Beautycon vlog- they should be ashamed of their behavior and just for the record you are not fat- you are beautiful and the fact that they made you think and feel like that is disgusting-
I’ve worked retail for years and the way the outlet works is that the older clothing that didn’t sell and was recalled back to the warehouse end up at the outlets for cheap prices. So the jeans for example the outlet pair was probably manufactured 2 years ago and every year the company evolves their product (hopefully to make better). A pair of $60 Gap jeans can be sold as low as $15 and the company would still turn a profit. Some companies like Gap also buy massive amounts of units such as running shoes and send it to the outlet to sell cheaper but you wouldn’t find those items in regular stores for a different price. For example they buy millions of units of those beach sandals so they can do that famous $2 sale for a day. Because they buy millions of units their single unit price is lower then 75 cents. Hope this sheds some light 💕 love your channel girl!!
I worked at the Kate Spade outlet in college and we had our own collections of bag and clothing made specifically for the outlet and that was pretty much the norm for all of the stores around. For our bags the materials were slightly less in quality, the lining for the retail store was silk and ours was a silk blend, the leather was always the same. There were also little details that made the price difference like feet on bags, gold zipper pulls v leather, and nameplate gold differences!
I've been watching this channel for a while. This was hands down the best video I've seen on it! I'm sure it was a ton of work to put together, but this was such an enjoyable watch! Keep up the amazing work, Sierra!
I worked at Men's Wearhouse Outlet for 2 years and then transferred to a "traditional" store, and I can confirm (at least for this specific company) that outlet stores have a completely different line made specifically for them. Yes, it's lower quality, but it's also half the cost. So if you will be wearing it often, it is probably worth spending $900 on a suit at a traditional store. But if it's for one occasion or something you wear rarely, going for the $400 suit is definitely a smarter choice, and you can often find suits that look almost identical and just feel different based on materials used. 😊 Also, I think it's important to note that not all stores in an outlet mall are outlet stores!
I work at an outlet store and I just have to say our Outlet sells almost COMPLETELY differently items vs full price store. Some similar cut items but that’s about it.
Kate Spade quality is very different!! Just look at how the bags are made, zippers, material, the inside, the straps etc.. I really like Kate Spade, but I've never found anything that look good enough to buy at the outlet store.
I work at Coach and our company does make items specifically for the factory stores which are the outlets. The materials are different and there is a quality difference as well as a customer service difference, but this is no secret. We do occasionally send items from the full price store that do not sell to the outlet stores though.
I went to the outlet mall recently for the first time expecting to get some great deals cause I’ve heard the outlets are supposed to be way cheaper, but was highly disappointed. But I’m also super cheap and shop almost exclusively at thrift stores so I can’t justify spending more than $20 on anything lol
I love the Victoria secret outlet in Orlando. It’s mostly previous season stuff and if you have a not as ordinary bra size you can get good bras for cheap. I got a sports bra for 4.99 and two of the incredible lightly lined bras for 4.99
I have worked at numerous different outlet stores and I can say from experience that MOST stores carry "made for outlet" clothing (especially Nike.) However, some stores have a mix of both made for outlet and discounted "full price store" items. And finally, there are outlets like American eagle which have the same clothing items and discounts as the "full price store" but have much larger clearance sections. Something to take note though is some stores will honor online prices so it never hurts to ask. Final note I was so jealous to see the Elie Tahari sign in the background of one of the outlet stores. I used to work there and loved the quality of the clothes but unfortunately it closed down in my mall due to bad demographics. Definitely take a look into Elie if you want high quality discounted merchandise!
As someone who worked at a Lululemon outlet, I know that with Lulu the outlets are just a clearance store (same stuff, just whatever isn't selling in the retail stores or has gone to the we made too much section or the website). I just always assumed other outlets were that way too
Love this video. I used to live by and worked at the San Marcos outlets. I will say though, when the lucky brand outlet does have a good sale you can get jeans for only $25! But it’s not very frequent.
I work at a Gap flagship and the flagship and outlet clothing is not the same. We do not accept returns from outlets at our flagship store even when it's the same item. Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athletea are under the same company and their outlet clothing is a different cut and quality, however, I have several pieces in my closet from BR outlet that have lasted for years. While it's not the same quality it doesn't mean it's not a good quality!
I can totally tell how much work you put into this one. It turned out awesome! Such a great mix of all the things you do well. Keep it up, you're gonna be the safiya nygaard of inclusive clothing investigation!
Before I even start to watch this video I must say that Sierra, I really love your video idea's. You're honestly one of the only TH-camr's that I get excited to see new video's from these days. A lot of others just seem to copy ideas, but you never do. Keep these fresh ideas coming, we love it, and we love you. 💜
I read an article stating that the outlet stores have similar but different items. The quality is way lower to meet their low prices. If you have outlet clothing and regular retail items from the same brand, check their tags. Almost all outlet tags no matter the brand, have some sort of dot, diamond or shape to differentiate them.
I used to work at Charlotte Russe Outlet. We had both regular price items and marked down items. The reason we were considered outlet was because the other store in the area would send us their marked down items so we had more discounted product than a non-outlet store.
Looooved this video. Great idea and so interesting. I've heard about it before and some brands really do have lower quality stuff in the outlets. I think they mix with last season stuff.
I went into the Kate Spade outlet in my area and the sales person there told me that the items they carry in their store are made specifically for the outlet and that they are completely different items than what you might find an in actual Kate Spade store, so yes you’re correct when you said that they make the items specifically for the outlet rather than lowering the prices of regular items and sending them to outlets. Loved the video!
When rating quality, the materials matter, and you rarely mentioned materials. Clothing, leather goods, and jewelry will usually have different materials in the outlet vs full-priced versions (less cotton and more polyester or manmade fabrics in outlet denim). Unless it’s a store transfer, or the rare outlet that doesn’t have items made for that price point, the company will cut corners (materials, stitching, factories used, etc). Also, companies typically market outlets and full-prices stores to different demographics. Justine Leconte is a fashion designer and TH-camr in Berlin that has made a fabulous video regarding clothing quality (and just a ton of great videos about fashion). th-cam.com/video/6a5lHAHf0Zk/w-d-xo.html
I work for GAP, and you are so correct. Factory/outlets stores carry different but similar items. However there are some cross over items that a GAP factory/outlets and an actual GAP stores sell the same product, usually happens with GAP fit, body,and lounge items.
I've been told that Lucky also changes their prices depending on area the store is located. a store in a more wealthy area will have slightly higher prices. thats also how they decide on their sales.
As someone who worked at the outlets for years, I can confirm it varies. Cole Haan had store transfers but some items were created specifically for the outlet. We also used to marked down out of season items like crazy. At Hanes, the prices were not a deal unless you bought in bulk. If you bought 1 item, you would likely get a better deal at Macy's or something.
Las Americas and Fashion Valley? I was just at both of those places here recently and found some great deals at the Banana Republic outlet and treated myself to a new pair of shorts from there! First time since having my little girl that I have felt confident in shorts and I swear I owe it to your channel!
I always check the spade icon before buying something at the kate spade outlet. I’ve been told unless the spade is an actual metal piece not to buy it. If it’s stamped on you are buying a lesser quality item that was manufactured specifically for the outlet stores.
I was always told that in an outlet store you should check the tag- if it shows that it is "marked down" then it is an overstock or last season from the main store that has been sent over, but if it just has a single price it was made specifically for the outlet of a cheaper material or simpler pattern.
I would suggest checking the zipper on the lucky brand jeans. The outlet stores usually sell a different quality jean.They also do not have the clover leaf zipper but rather a generic one. Really appreciate this video 😀
Hi Sierra! I just want to say I love all of your videos & your bubbly personality! I really enjoy your sit down conversation type videos and I would love if you did more!
Hi! I used to work at banana republic and along with Gap they both have “factory” stores which is the gap and banana that you see at an outlet. Where they make the same style but in a cheaper fabric, it’s not a “conspiracy” it’s a known fact! At least gap inc from what I know, has never tried to hide that!
Maria Cadena I was about to say the same thing! It’s not crazy there have even been lawsuits about this
I work at Gap Factory and I can confirm we don't try to hide that we aren't the same. In fact we can't take back stuff from the flag ship store (which can cause some major arguments) because our product is different. I do understand the confusion though! I have to explain it to a lot of customers.
I work at an Old Navy outlet and they're the same company as Gap and BR, but Old Navy outlets sell the exact same items as the flagship stores plus some outlet exclusive items. As far as Old Navy goes, the only difference between the outlets and regular stores is that the outlets have outlet exclusive sales! Gap and BR do sell completely different clothes in their outlets and flagship stores though which is interesting. Not sure why ON does it differently.
Don’t the factory stores normally have different labels?
Yep!! I used to work for a Steve Madden outlet and we just had “little sister” versions of all of the styles.
You should do this video for a Tj Maxx I bought a purse there for $50 and I was just going to buy a new purse and saw the same one for $160 in the actual store!
I've noticed things like that too! Sometime you could get ordinarily very pricy brand name stuff for real cheap at TJ Maxx, I'm curious if it's actually legit though lol
Yes me too! I got a Tommy Hilfiger bubble jacket for $100 at Tj Maxx where it retailed for $185 in the real store. (I’m in Canada so prices are obviously higher all round)
I work at Tj Maxx, I’ll bet you could find Kate Spade for 30-50 dollars there, it’s crazy.
@@aly8512 i work there, everything is legit but similar to the outlets, some brands create seperate lines to sell to tj maxx 🤷♀️
KimEileen Ah good to know! That does make sense with the experience I've had shopping there 👍
Former retail manager here! A lot of times companies do make specific lines just for their outlets. Michael Kors for example has specific items made for outlets. Same for francesca’s.
Sometimes they have different names. For example Gymboree kids clothes had an outline called Crazy 8.
Sarah Bent outline? autocorrect, i assume.
Yes. Very much so. I meant outlet line.
I was also a manager at an outlet mall store but we had no special pricing at all... it was a shoe store though
Can you do a “what I kept” video later on the stuff you bought in this one?! I loved when you did that last time!
Samie H ooh yay i was the 100th like and the 1st comment!! yessss!!!
396th
let's be honest... sierra just wants to shop more 😂
me too :(
Lol, don’t we all! XD
I just want to put it out there.. I got my first pair of riding boots from Tory Burch when I was 15 and I still wear them and I’m almost 22 and they look and wear fine. You’re paying for genuine leather and quality and as long as you take care of them they’re going to last! I see spending that much money as an investment and it pays off well. I know I definitely got my money’s worth for them.
Same with me ❤
Totally...
At Kate Spade items from the outlet won’t have a raised spade, it’s just a stamp. The flagship store items will have the raised spade. That proves they are made for the outlet!
That's exactly what they found out in an episode of Canadian Marketplace! :)
I have a Kate Spade wallet from the outlet and it has all raised logo but I honestly only got it because I liked the camels on it, not really a name brand person.
I think they changed that. I got two bags from the outlet like a month ago and one of them has a raised metal spade and the other one is just stamped.
Sultana Beads this is actually 100% NOT the case anymore! I’ve worked at the outlet for 3 years now, and we now have completely identical logos to all of the full price bags. Raised all metal lettering, the sing,e raised spade, it’s all on our bags now and we’ve almost completely stopped using the stamped logo. In fact, a lot of full price collections now use the stamp, or stitched logo, as well as the nicer raised branding. The ONLY way to tell the difference between a bag from the outlet vs a bag from the retail store is the SKU/style number on the inner pocket stitched into the lining. Outlet bags have a different 4 letter code at the beginning than retail :)
Mariah Etten
I work for the outlets as well! That WKRU.... lol.
Tip: When a store has a bogo sale, buy 2 (even if you only want one.) Then return the 2nd item. Every store I have ever shopped at applies the discount equally between both items (specifically for return value!) You will end up getting the first item with the same percent of discount that your entire original purchase was.
I’ve never thought about doing that! Thank you Xx
Love that you do more than one store so that you can actually make a sound assumption
This was great! Can you try Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, and Last Chance?
+1 for Nordstrom vs Nordstrom rack
I worked at Nordstrom and it was so cool to see that they actually send the items from the Nordstrom to the Nordstrom rack. Anytime things were “racked” we would place them in the mail room to be sent out to Nordstrom rack. That being said Nordstrom rack does have its own brands only sold at the rack.
@@paulinahernandez8389 Nordstrom rack is the perfect place to shop for discounted luxury makeup omg
The denim dress with the v neck looks soooooo cute!! Its more flattering than the boxer top style. The v neck style is definitely cuter
After The Gap section I thought that was the end of the video...then I realized you had another 20mins I was very excited!
Video Ideas:
Shopping at stores you never shop at
Making outfits only off the clearance rack
Shopping at Ross or TjMaxx
Thrifting
Marty UwU these were all separate ideas lol
Omg such good ideas!
I’ve always wondered about outlet vs retail prices and if it was really worth it - Thanks for proving this theory, Sierra! 💞
I live in Italy and here the clothes are the same in the full price /outlet stores. They are only things from the year before.
I used to work at an outlet store and everything there was made specifically for the outlet store. It was rare to get items from retail. Usually when stores use the word "factory" instead of "outlet" it means that the product was made for that store and that it's not leftovers from retail. You can usually tell the difference between the factory product and the retail product by looking at the tag too. Many brands will use two diamonds under the brand name on the tag if it's factory, and a retail version won't have that. This was so interesting to see how different brands approach this. Based on the places you visited it seems like the higher end brand outlets are more like true outlets and mid range brands make completely different product.
I actually worked at the Outlet Nike in SD and the normal Nike in SD would ship their shipment to us!
I wonder how American Eagle vs. AEO Factory Store would compare!
yeah! i was expecting to see American Eagle in this video, too!!
yes i was expecting that
There’s an AEO factory store by me and it’s literally the exact same as the regular American eagle store! Like same styles and same sales. I’m not sure if they’re all like this.
I'm not sure about in the states but I work at an aerie in Canada. Our outlet store is split into 2 parts, 1) new arrivals/regular price and 2) clearance.
Many of our stores have small clearance sections but it doesnt all sell through, in which case we would send clearance items to the outlet store.
So the outlet stores end up with clearance items from previous seasons that didnt sell in other stores.
Yeah it’s the same in the AEO in the states. Every season we scan through items that didn’t sell and send them out to our outlets for hella discount. Sometimes they just go to other stores like tj max or marshals as well, just depends how many seasons behind an item is
SHE SPENT $1,485.83 FOR THIS VIDEO!!! DANG, if i had that much money to spend on one video...
Elizabeth Todd I mean, you gotta assume she returned stuff. Also, expense TH-cam!
@@queenofpeassYeah, I know shes not wasteful and I really appreciate that. I wasn't coming at her, I was just saying I just wish I had that much money to spend on one shopping trip!
Would be nice to be able to spend that much on shopping. She did say she was returning the Kate Spade flats but I'm sure the money she makes on this video more than covers the cost...
So are you saying that she makes so much money over one video? The content should be better then
Aparna Das why are you even watching it than? Just to be rude that’s why!🙄🤷♀️
I went to a Kate Spade outlet once that had 40% off everything, plus a 20%off military discount and that is the story of how I got a wallet for like 45 bucks!
The Kate Spade website had a HUGE "surprise" sale a few weeks ago. I think it was 75% off select items. I got a shoulder bag-wallet combo for $129! They have a lot great sales.
Angie Laing I worked for KS and most of the time the merch sold during their 75% off sale online is the outlet/factory merchandise. I know it sounds super weird because it’s sold on the full price store website but the quality is slightly lower and it’s manufactured to be sold at a lower price point. That being said there’s cute stuff at both!
Same as Coach .Their online huge sale is outlet merchandise . But they tell on their ad.
$45 wallet isn’t a great deal to me
Also I seriously was thinking while I was watching this how much work it was. You and Skyler did a great job and you should definitely be proud of creating this content.
The Kate Spade outlet is my favorite! My husband hates when we walk by it because I always have to go in to "look" ;)
I used to work for Armani exchange some things were made just for outlet but most things were transferred from the stores. It would be the “out of season” stuff but not really bc the original price store was 1 season ahead aka they would release summer in the spring so when it got to the outlet in the summer it would be the summer collection and it would be anywhere from 30%-70% off.
Shane Dawson conspiracy Mall Edition
That's genius!
@@khalsagriffin1028 Okay Thanks
My favorite outlet store is the Vera Bradley outlets. Usually get around 70% off. Typically they care patterns or designs that are going out of style. Love love love
I used to work at a lane Bryant and as far as I know it was shared knowledge to everyone that the stuff made for the main stores and the stuff made for the outlets were NEVER the same and it was a very rare thing if we sent something to an outlet that was out of season or not selling. They’re completely separate things, no one has ever tried to hide that.
I always thought that stores sent their old season items to the outlets 😨 I didn’t know they made clothes specifically for outlets
I work at an outlet store, and we actually get completely different product from our specialty store it's not unsold product like it's a whole different product
Google is your best friend when it comes to outlet/discount shopping! If you’re considering buying an item, look it up first to see if it was ever actually sold at full price by the brand or by a department store. Also, if the original price you find online is significantly cheaper than their normal retail goods, you can also infer that it is an inferior product. It can be hard to know 100% in some cases, but it’s a good start!
This is one of my favorite videos you've ever posted! I never thought that brands would make outlet lines and things would be less quality and it was wild to see an item so much cheaper at the flagship!
I keep seeing the comments for people saying you went over budget at GAP. The budget was literally only for the outlet stores, you were comparing prices between the outlet and flagship stores. I don’t get how people don’t understand that 😂 Love you Sierra! You’re my favorite!
Ugh I feel so huge and unattractive but this channel is so positive about being me and loving it!💗😊
blondie 4lyfe me too
I know what you mean. 😳✌😊💙
L 3:31-33 Psalm 73:21-28. I love your username!😊 keep aging the light!💕
@@blondie4lyfe245 thanks.
I think you and carrie Dayton should do a torrid in the dressing room or haul :)
Leah-Louise Gottlich yeah I agree
I love Torrid! I don't know why she never shops there but their stuff is the best lol
Yes! I see that store everywhere!!!😊
You're correct!!! I went to school for fashion merchandising. It typically is not unsold merchandise, it is clothing specifically made for the outlet stores. That's why you can't return items purchased at outlets stores directly to the retailer
Hi sierra! Im a huge fan of you but I only shop at sustainable and secondhand/thrift shops for ethical and environmental reasons. Can you make a video on this kind of fashion? I think your style is awesome and I am wondering what u would find out there!
she puts so much effort and care into her videos it’s so sweet she needs to be more appreciated
Sierra! I love how you are so friggin creative with your videos, shane dawson and you should do a collab investigation into shady clothing companies!
Super late comment, but I just found your channel! I used to work for Vera Bradley and it was confirmed that most items in the outlet stores were MFO or Made for Outlet. Some of the mfo items had different features like fewer pockets, different stitching or were missing some small details (for example the pill holders in the outlet didn’t have a clear ID slot for information while the full line ones did). I would always tactfully tell customers who would come into our store with the idea that they would just go to the outlet that the products were different. However, when some patterns retired, we did send certain items to our outlet. They are now doing away with that and aiming for strictly factory outlet exclusive items. They’re cheaper to make, which is why they can sell them at a discounted rate. However, they put the full line prices to make it seem like an amazing deal. Love your videos!
One of the First comment! I love your style Sierra! You inspire me to love and accept my body more! Also I love how bubbly your personality is! ❤️❤️
I love the love for TB!! I used to work at the Tory Outlet and most of what we carry is previous season’s styles/collections that are no longer in full price stores! There’s usually one specific collection made just for outlet but other than that everything is past seasons merchandise!
a brand usually only has one flagship- i.e. their biggest store or their highest traffic store (or both)
I buy all my Levis jeans from the Levi’s outlet, and I have definitely noticed a lot of differences in sizing. Definitely worth it in the end! Buying $10-30 jeans as opposed to the normal $100.
Thank you for all the effort you and Skylar put into your videos. :-)
Educational video and very interesting to watch.
I love how she just jumps into talking about what she’s doing instead of like a 10 minute “hey what’s up you guys so yesterday blah blah blah happened to me!” It took me by surprise how fast she jumped into it!
I worked at Gap Factory for 5 years. And I can tell you that Gap retail and Gap Factory are completely different stores. We have our own product and everything, and Gap Factory can't take returns from Gap retail. But we do carry some of the same items for cheaper. Gap doesn't try to hide the fact that they are different stores. It's just like how Gap and Old navy are the same company but different brands. :)
Kelsey Buvala hey I’m BRFS so yesss we never hide the facts lol people just love the discounts
I've worked at the Michael Kors outlet for 4 years and it's the same exact thing. Completely different lines but it's not a secret and we don't accept cross-over returns
Everyone, our girl Sierra is out here killing it! Your content is always so interesting and thoughtful. Thank you!
I’ve worked in retail my entire life and I can shed some light on the “outlet” vs full price/full line stores in general - there’s obviously some differences depending on the store BUT the merch that stores get in are mostly “special purchase” items bought or made only for the off price store- a good example is J Crew. The small % of items at the off price stores are transfers from the full line stores- there’s only so many mds a store can take and sit on before it becomes non profitable for the store- so it’s sent out ....
Pps. Im loving your content- watching everything since I saw your Beautycon vlog- they should be ashamed of their behavior and just for the record you are not fat- you are beautiful and the fact that they made you think and feel like that is disgusting-
I love how confident she is about her body. I swear to god it makes her 10 times more beautiful than she already is
don’t swear!
@@oliviagrace6914 oml
I’ve worked retail for years and the way the outlet works is that the older clothing that didn’t sell and was recalled back to the warehouse end up at the outlets for cheap prices. So the jeans for example the outlet pair was probably manufactured 2 years ago and every year the company evolves their product (hopefully to make better). A pair of $60 Gap jeans can be sold as low as $15 and the company would still turn a profit. Some companies like Gap also buy massive amounts of units such as running shoes and send it to the outlet to sell cheaper but you wouldn’t find those items in regular stores for a different price. For example they buy millions of units of those beach sandals so they can do that famous $2 sale for a day. Because they buy millions of units their single unit price is lower then 75 cents.
Hope this sheds some light 💕 love your channel girl!!
When someone asks me what my hobby is, i say.
“Saving money”
I dont know i just LOVE getting a good deal!
I worked at the Kate Spade outlet in college and we had our own collections of bag and clothing made specifically for the outlet and that was pretty much the norm for all of the stores around. For our bags the materials were slightly less in quality, the lining for the retail store was silk and ours was a silk blend, the leather was always the same. There were also little details that made the price difference like feet on bags, gold zipper pulls v leather, and nameplate gold differences!
I've been watching this channel for a while. This was hands down the best video I've seen on it! I'm sure it was a ton of work to put together, but this was such an enjoyable watch! Keep up the amazing work, Sierra!
wow, this is a great video. super informative and reminds you a lot of all the ways stores use to get you to spend money
*WHO ELSE LOVES SIERRA SO MUCH?*
Her channel is such an inspiration for us smaller channels 💛💛
Saint Evolution girl I love ur channel!
Alexi Leonof aw thank u! 💓
I just subscribed to your channel
Casey Railling aw thank u!
@@SaintEvolution how so?
I worked at Men's Wearhouse Outlet for 2 years and then transferred to a "traditional" store, and I can confirm (at least for this specific company) that outlet stores have a completely different line made specifically for them. Yes, it's lower quality, but it's also half the cost. So if you will be wearing it often, it is probably worth spending $900 on a suit at a traditional store. But if it's for one occasion or something you wear rarely, going for the $400 suit is definitely a smarter choice, and you can often find suits that look almost identical and just feel different based on materials used. 😊 Also, I think it's important to note that not all stores in an outlet mall are outlet stores!
so excited for this!!! u should keep doing these types of videos...loved it ❤
girl the amount of effort you put into your videos is so evident, your content is amazing
i love your shopping challenges so much! please film more of them!💕
I work at an outlet store and I just have to say our Outlet sells almost COMPLETELY differently items vs full price store. Some similar cut items but that’s about it.
Oooou I like the longer, more in depth video style!
Kate Spade quality is very different!!
Just look at how the bags are made, zippers, material, the inside, the straps etc.. I really like Kate Spade, but I've never found anything that look good enough to buy at the outlet store.
Been waiting all morning for the content queen to post 😍
I work at Coach and our company does make items specifically for the factory stores which are the outlets. The materials are different and there is a quality difference as well as a customer service difference, but this is no secret. We do occasionally send items from the full price store that do not sell to the outlet stores though.
I went to the outlet mall recently for the first time expecting to get some great deals cause I’ve heard the outlets are supposed to be way cheaper, but was highly disappointed. But I’m also super cheap and shop almost exclusively at thrift stores so I can’t justify spending more than $20 on anything lol
I love the Victoria secret outlet in Orlando. It’s mostly previous season stuff and if you have a not as ordinary bra size you can get good bras for cheap. I got a sports bra for 4.99 and two of the incredible lightly lined bras for 4.99
Girl, i don't really even like fashion but yours videos are so good i am into now, i really enjoy them, keep doing it, cheers from Uruguay
I have worked at numerous different outlet stores and I can say from experience that MOST stores carry "made for outlet" clothing (especially Nike.) However, some stores have a mix of both made for outlet and discounted "full price store" items. And finally, there are outlets like American eagle which have the same clothing items and discounts as the "full price store" but have much larger clearance sections. Something to take note though is some stores will honor online prices so it never hurts to ask. Final note I was so jealous to see the Elie Tahari sign in the background of one of the outlet stores. I used to work there and loved the quality of the clothes but unfortunately it closed down in my mall due to bad demographics. Definitely take a look into Elie if you want high quality discounted merchandise!
As someone who worked at a Lululemon outlet, I know that with Lulu the outlets are just a clearance store (same stuff, just whatever isn't selling in the retail stores or has gone to the we made too much section or the website). I just always assumed other outlets were that way too
I work at a gap factory store and yes most things we sell are completely different then retail. Occasionally though they will make item for both.
I'm here from Kathleen!! You are so loveable. Subscribed❤
Love this video. I used to live by and worked at the San Marcos outlets. I will say though, when the lucky brand outlet does have a good sale you can get jeans for only $25! But it’s not very frequent.
I work at a Gap flagship and the flagship and outlet clothing is not the same. We do not accept returns from outlets at our flagship store even when it's the same item. Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy and Athletea are under the same company and their outlet clothing is a different cut and quality, however, I have several pieces in my closet from BR outlet that have lasted for years. While it's not the same quality it doesn't mean it's not a good quality!
I can totally tell how much work you put into this one. It turned out awesome! Such a great mix of all the things you do well. Keep it up, you're gonna be the safiya nygaard of inclusive clothing investigation!
Before I even start to watch this video I must say that Sierra, I really love your video idea's. You're honestly one of the only TH-camr's that I get excited to see new video's from these days. A lot of others just seem to copy ideas, but you never do. Keep these fresh ideas coming, we love it, and we love you. 💜
I read an article stating that the outlet stores have similar but different items. The quality is way lower to meet their low prices. If you have outlet clothing and regular retail items from the same brand, check their tags. Almost all outlet tags no matter the brand, have some sort of dot, diamond or shape to differentiate them.
What an amazing video, you did a great job. Xx
I used to work at Charlotte Russe Outlet. We had both regular price items and marked down items. The reason we were considered outlet was because the other store in the area would send us their marked down items so we had more discounted product than a non-outlet store.
Girl, you're killing it with the videos.....you're making other content creators copy your ideas. True trendsetter
Looooved this video. Great idea and so interesting. I've heard about it before and some
brands really do have lower quality stuff in the outlets.
I think they mix with last season stuff.
I thought for sure you would have done American Eagle... Please do a comparison between their flagship and outlets!
They closed the American Eagle outlet I know because I go to the same malls
I went into the Kate Spade outlet in my area and the sales person there told me that the items they carry in their store are made specifically for the outlet and that they are completely different items than what you might find an in actual Kate Spade store, so yes you’re correct when you said that they make the items specifically for the outlet rather than lowering the prices of regular items and sending them to outlets. Loved the video!
As someone who LOVES outlet stores I’m excited for this 🤗
I love how creative your videos are and how much work you all put into editing/producing them. So awesome!!!
When rating quality, the materials matter, and you rarely mentioned materials. Clothing, leather goods, and jewelry will usually have different materials in the outlet vs full-priced versions (less cotton and more polyester or manmade fabrics in outlet denim). Unless it’s a store transfer, or the rare outlet that doesn’t have items made for that price point, the company will cut corners (materials, stitching, factories used, etc). Also, companies typically market outlets and full-prices stores to different demographics. Justine Leconte is a fashion designer and TH-camr in Berlin that has made a fabulous video regarding clothing quality (and just a ton of great videos about fashion). th-cam.com/video/6a5lHAHf0Zk/w-d-xo.html
browneyedguitargirl exactly what I was thinking
I work for GAP, and you are so correct. Factory/outlets stores carry different but similar items. However there are some cross over items that a GAP factory/outlets and an actual GAP stores sell the same product, usually happens with GAP fit, body,and lounge items.
The “original” price is almost never real, if it says $25 it was probably created to sell for $25.
I've been told that Lucky also changes their prices depending on area the store is located. a store in a more wealthy area will have slightly higher prices. thats also how they decide on their sales.
Amazing video! Great job! PS I love you ❤️
As someone who worked at the outlets for years, I can confirm it varies. Cole Haan had store transfers but some items were created specifically for the outlet. We also used to marked down out of season items like crazy. At Hanes, the prices were not a deal unless you bought in bulk. If you bought 1 item, you would likely get a better deal at Macy's or something.
I am so happy I found your channel I am getting married in June and found your wedding vlogs and I was hooked
Las Americas and Fashion Valley? I was just at both of those places here recently and found some great deals at the Banana Republic outlet and treated myself to a new pair of shorts from there! First time since having my little girl that I have felt confident in shorts and I swear I owe it to your channel!
Y E S😍Thankyou for making this video!! I literally always though of this🤔
I think CBC marketplace did an investigation on this as well but I could be wrong.
I always check the spade icon before buying something at the kate spade outlet. I’ve been told unless the spade is an actual metal piece not to buy it. If it’s stamped on you are buying a lesser quality item that was manufactured specifically for the outlet stores.
Who else loves sierra’s fashion videos?! They make me want to change out of my sweat pants and actually look cute LOL 😂
omg me too! you look so cute in your profile picture though! 😂
I was always told that in an outlet store you should check the tag- if it shows that it is "marked down" then it is an overstock or last season from the main store that has been sent over, but if it just has a single price it was made specifically for the outlet of a cheaper material or simpler pattern.
I literally do all my shopping at the thrift store. $300 shoes? Outrageous
I would suggest checking the zipper on the lucky brand jeans. The outlet stores usually sell a different quality jean.They also do not have the clover leaf zipper but rather a generic one. Really appreciate this video 😀
YA new video! & Thanks for making a followup video to the original with outlets!
Hi Sierra! I just want to say I love all of your videos & your bubbly personality! I really enjoy your sit down conversation type videos and I would love if you did more!
The Nike outlet is the most incredible store! I LOVE shopping there; it definitely has standard Nike quality.