Discount store pricing - YouLookFab Forum

I recently bought this Steve Madden bag at a Ross store for $27.99 (MSRP $98) and found the identical bag for $77 elsewhere. I unexpectedly bought and love a pair of silver Franco Sarto heels I picked up last minute at NAS, so this caught my eye as I was walking by.

It all made me wonder how discount stores like Ross, Marshall’s and TJ Maxx (sorry, I realize not everyone will be familiar with these names) get and price their merchandise so some items like this are available for so much less than they are elsewhere. Are things manufactured specifically for these stores? The bag is in perfect condition, so I’m curious. Is anyone familiar with how this works? I also wonder why Steve Madden has two bags that are so very similar. That seems odd.

Identical bag on Zappos for $77.
https://www.zappos.com/p/steve.....894116/col

Very similar bag on Steve Madden site for $88.

https://www.stevemadden.com/pr.....le&am

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1 year ago

Dee

Veteran

Apparently the bulk of Marshall’s inventory comes from merchandisers or brand’s excess inventory, department store cancellations or from deals to clear end of season stock. Some of these brands also make merchandise designed specifically for Marshalls and other off-price retailers.

Runcarla

Here’s the ‘Cole’s Notes’ version: https://www.leaf.tv/articles/h.....a-receipt/ Pretty much what Dee wrote.

Today I was in my local Winners (Canadian version and affiliated with TJ Max and Marshall’s) and they had Furla and Coach leather bags and clothing from Massimo Dutti and Club Monaco!

The really good finds are Easter eggs! I got my black Lepliage Neo at Winners!

LJP

I’m flying to Ontario to shop at Carla’s Winners !

RobinF

Yeah, I have always heard what Dee said. It is pretty hit or miss for me. I have seen Kate Spade bags but it's pretty rare. If I saw a Furla I'd snap it up! I have also seen brands there that I only see there.

rachylou

What Dee said. Interesting to me, since pretty much every store is now Ross around me… is that everyone knows there’s one good Ross and it wasn’t the downtown SF one next to all the high end stores. I got an $800 Coach jacket at the good Ross for 90% off. That is, the distribution of the high end stuff is not equal between the stores.

Janet

(website)

Ross around here is crap, LOL! I feel like all the discount stores, even the Rack, have gone downhill a bit since the pandemic. Maybe it’s just my area? I still sometimes find an occasional good-for-the-price piece, when I bother to look, but I don’t look as often as I used to.

bj1111

May be too much competition from online retailers leads to fewer Easter eggs—umm, crap—. yoox before it affiliated with netaporter, I think even the RealReal to a lesser extent given their focus on higher end designers

unfrumped

Most of the discount stores , like TJMAXX, in my area carry a very high % of items that look like a lower tier or some brands I don’t see any else, anc the quality is not great. Still I find some items that work for casual wards, like T’s or cotton pants and sometimes sneakers. Once in a great while, I’d say less than even 5% of merchandise, there’s a recognizable item, like a Banana Republic, Theory , once a Vince sweater, sometimes a shoe, that I could tell were from regular stock. Very few “ real” handbags.

Jaime

I have also found this online between retailers selling the exact same product that I am researching. The discount stores deal with overstock and I am guessing there is no price control from the original brand.

kkards

Yes, there are some, real bargains at off price stores (Marshall’s, TJMaxx, Ross etc) and outlet stores. They definitely do buy cancels and overstocks from major brands…..but do the math…there are way more off price locations than there are department stores, so much of the department store brands that you see in the off price store was made to be sold there.

https://topclassactions.com/la.....-homegoods.

A key comment
While the T.J. Maxx website defined the “Compare At” price as buying staff’s estimate, the actual price tags include no such explanation. The lawsuit charged T.J. Maxx with unfair business practices, fraudulent business practices, unlawful business practices, false advertising, and with violating California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act

Vildy

Interesting about shopping the "good" Ross. The few times I was in one I kept finding items with defects.

Irina

LJP, maybe you would want to shop at my Winners, too?
I dropped by today, first time in a couple of months and sure enough, there were designs items - clothes, shoes and even bags. Too many to list here.

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Helena

Jeez, Carla and Irina, what Winners do you shop at? The one is my town is a mess lol

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