Four cheating tricks to avoid losing money at the outlet

Outlet malls allow customers to purchase out-of-season or “B” products at a discount from the regular price. However, the fact is that today’s outlet malls are a battle royale between consumers and stores, and depending on how you shop, you may end up losing money. In this article, I would like to introduce some tricks of the outlet shopping game based on the experience of the author, who is admittedly a “cheater” by both self and others.

Cheating tricks to avoid losing money at the outlets (1)Ideally, secure at least 11 outlet factors! Take birthday month friends and family

Shops in the outlets may offer birthday month discounts or multiple discounts. Take, for example, the outlet in Kisarazu, which is easy to get to from central Tokyo. The select store ESTNATION incorporates a birthday discount of an additional 10% off if it is your birthday month. Seep Eyewear, which carries eyewear such as Eyeban and Oliver Peoples, offers a discount for multiple purchases, which can be applied not only to yourself but also to a group of customers. You can also use the discount for a group of friends. Other select stores and brand stores also have their own discount systems, and if you have an outlet mall that you visit often, it is recommended that you keep in mind the discount information of your favorite stores.

Editor Izumi

In addition to going shopping in your own birthday month, I recommend that you invite as many family members and friends who have as many and as varied birth months as possible. Ideally, there should be 12 people with different birth months (laugh). I have been able to buy eyeglasses and sunglasses from Eyeban for less than half the regular price and Stone Island outerwear for under 100,000 yen, which would have cost 200,000 yen at the regular price!

Cheating tricks to avoid losing money at the outlet (2)Ask store staff to secretly tell you when good merchandise is likely to come in

Outlets have times when good merchandise is likely to come in. There are times when the season switches over, or when products left unsold at family sales are rustled up in bulk, but there are also influences from temperature and social conditions. For example, after the state of emergency was declared, many popular items that are not usually seen in the outlets flowed in, because the new coronavirus restricted outings and made it difficult to sell expensive items that were going elsewhere. This is information that the author actually heard from a staff member at one of the outlet stores. I asked the staff if there were any products that were sold at the outlet that I had not bought last year, and they replied, “We had some in stock last time, but they were sold out right away…” I have experienced this regrettable episode, so if you know when they are in stock, you will be able to find the products you are looking for. If you know when the product you are looking for is in stock, you will have a better chance of finding it. You can also ask them for their contact information when you go shopping, or ask them to tell you in secret when you get to know them well.

Editor Izumi

The dawn of Corona is really good, and the store staff said, “There’s a lot of good stuff flowing in right now, so it’s a great opportunity!” They told us. I think this way of aiming can be applied to social conditions and climate changes. For example, the winter of 2023 was quite a mild winter, and many brands lamented that they could not sell down jackets and other outerwear at all, so the unsold out-of-season products there may be available just this time of year (as of September 2024)? Please go and check it out!

Cheating tricks to avoid losing money at outlets (3)Increase your chances of finding amazingly cheap products by knowing when and what the sales are

At regular select stores and department stores, the sales are basically summer sales, winter sales, and New Year’s sales, Outlets usually have many more sales than that. There are sales in each of the four seasons (spring, summer, fall, and winter) and at the beginning of the year, and different outlets have their own sales, such as “outlet days. For example, premium outlet chains in Gotemba, Sano, and Shisui hold summer sales in June, followed by premium outlet bargains in August and Premium Outlet Day in October (as of 2024). In addition, stores also hold guerrilla time sales, in which eligible items are reduced to half price for a limited time, so if you come across such an opportunity, be sure to take advantage of it. (Reference: Premium Outlet Sale Information )

Editor Izumi

I like to note the timing of major sales because sometimes items come in at the right time for a sale. Department stores and select stores are no different, but be sure to go to the New Year’s sales in particular, as they are big sales that are very high profile even at outlets! Also, guerrilla sales at individual stores are a matter of luck, so it’s difficult to target them, but I happened to stumble upon an Adidas time sale once and was able to get sneakers at half the outlet price.

Cheating tricks to avoid losing money at the outlet (4)

outlet stores.” Outlet stores have “outlet-specific products” that are targeted exclusively to outlet visitors. These products are often of lower quality than regular products, and therefore, the prices are lowered, creating the illusion that “cheap products sold at outlets = good value for money. Of course, if you find something you like, you should buy it, but it would be a waste to spend your limited time and money only on such outlet-only products. If you are looking for something truly delicious, like “stray metal” in Dracula, it is recommended to check the “Designers Brand” and “Import Brand” sections of select stores. I recommend you to check out the section with the “Designers Brand” or “Import Brand” signs in select shops.

Editor Izumi

Outlets are basically a place for brands to process their unsold inventory, and it is not uncommon for stores to make a profit on exclusive merchandise, so you want to avoid unnecessary spending, save HP (=time, money), and target stray metal-like items. BEAMS, UNITED ARROWS, etc. The major select stores, such as BEAMS and UNITED ARROWS, have a large area of stores in their outlets, so avoid the barren consumption of checking every nook and cranny and attack the dungeon as if you were trying to grab only the tasty bits!