Just like any girl out there, I like signature products. I don't buy them. Primarily because I don't have the hundreds and sometimes thousands of dollars to pay for them. I can probably use credit card and pay through that BUT no thank you. I'm perfectly happy with what I can afford.
For some, knock offs are good replacements. I did too at one point but I got over it and just didn't think it's worth it. For a lot of people, buying from factorly outlets is a good way to get these branded products at a fraction of the price of the ones sold in regular stores. I've been to a couple of factory outlets more than 10 years ago but that's it. Where I'm at, the nearest outlet is hundreds of miles away. Needless to say, I've never been at that outlet. And I may never go...but who knows. Anyway, it was my understanding before that factory outlet products are just those high end products that just didn't pass quality control to make it to the next level so they are sold at much lower prices. Well, maybe not. Let me elaborate. And for the record, this is just my personal opinion.
A few months ago, I got an email invite to join an exclusive 'member' only pass for a popular company that sells mostly purses. It's for the official online site of their factory outlet. I was very happy to get that email. Now before I got that I email, I already have a purse and a wallet which were both bought from their regular stores months before. Both were gifts because if it were up to me, I won't spend hundreds of dollars for a purse or a wallet. But that's just me. Anyway,after getting the confirmation of membership I eagerly awaited for my first 'email only invite' from the site. I got one a few days later. As soon as I got in, I was already tempted to buy because the prices are really much lower than what they have in a regular store. Sometimes the prices are 70% off the MSRP of the product. So far, I got one purse. Not for me but for a niece as my thank you gift for her for all the favors she did for me when we went back home a few months ago. Other than that, I haven't been tempted to get anything else. Talk about self-control, eh?
So, are the purses/wallets sold in the outlet sites/stores the same as the ones sold at the regular store/site? Yes, but not really. Sorta? Here's what I found from my sleuthing...LOL...not much sleauthing actually...just a little bit of observing.
Aside from the big difference in prices, the products in the outlet site and the real site are also remarkably different. The products in the outlet site are probably made by the same company but they're not exactly the same as the ones found in the real site or the stores. The styles are similar but not the same. The materials used I believe are also different. I did a side by side picture comparison of some of the purses I like. At first glance they look the same but if closely inspected, they ARE indeed different. The designs on materials used to make the purses that seem to be the same are obviously not. One has bigger prints compared to the other. Now, I have not compared the products in person but judging from the pictures, I think it's safe to say that there is also a big difference in quality of the products.
But I guess it doesn't really matter especially if the price difference is 70%, right? But then again, I pesonally now have to think even more before I shell out some hard earned money for something that is original but may not be as good as the real deal. Then again...that's just me. How about you?
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