Shopping: Learning to Love Discount Designer Sales Thanks to theOutnet.com

One of the first lessons I learned after moving to Manhattan from Paris is that in New York, designer sample sales are akin to a highly competitive sport. They can and frequently do get ugly - more like English rugby than the highly padded football played in the U.S. In fact, I was so turned off by the lack of civility that I swore off of them altogether. After my interview with theOutnet.com's Stephanie Phair however, I decided it was time to give it another go. The Internet has, it would seem, introduced some much needed civility to the sector.

After browsing for about forty minutes, I opted for a Michael Kors black belted wool-jersey dress with pockets. The silhouette caught my eye because it reminded me ever so slightly of a 1950's Balenciaga shift (especially the back). More importantly, it's versatile enough to carry me from office/business meeting to dinner/cocktail party with a simple change of accessories - very important for this time of year. I also succumbed to an Azzedine Alaia black patent leather tote bag which I thought would look great with the dress and hold everything I needed from laptop to change of accessories. With my selections made, I zipped through the efficient and easy registration and payment processes. I placed my order late on Sunday evening and true to their word, my order was processed within 48 hours. DHL delivered it to my door early Thursday morning.

The packaging is quite cute. My order arrived in a re-usable zippered tote bag with the site's bright pink logo printed on the side. The dress was in impeccable condition and fits beautifully but the tote bag had gotten a bit compressed (probably in transit) and the corners were slightly crumpled. Luckily, it was nothing fatal and I was able to coax them back into shape - a testament to both the quality of leather Alaia uses and the craftsmanship of his products.

Simply put, I couldn't be happier with my purchases. The dress looks fabulous with my favorite Alaia patent leather perforated booties (purchased this summer at Alaia Stock in Paris). They give an otherwise fairly conservative dress a bit of edge. I will complete the look with this season's Marni double-strand necklace for a bit of sparkle. For evening, I will simply add a sparkly clutch and a sexy open-toe shoe.

All in all, my shopping experience on theOutnet.com was very satisfactory indeed. In fact, I would say the biggest hurdle for me was the wait. I've grown very accustomed to the stellar service on Net-A-Porter where your order is processed within an hour or two (at most) and the same day delivery option (in London and Manhattan) brings your shopping experience about as close to instant gratification as is currently possible. Then again, I did acquire my lovely Michael Kors dress and Alaia tote bag at a very substantial discount and without the need to engage in trench warfare. As far as I'm concerned, that provides ample incentive to learn a bit of patience.

In short, I highly recommend theOutnet.com experience and I will no doubt be shopping with them again myself. In fact, I already have my eye on a few more gems but I'm not going to tell you which ones. While theOutnet.com may have brought some much needed civility to discount designer shopping, it remains very much a competitive sport.

Sincerely,

The Luxe Chronicles

Comments

[Helene]

Dear Mlle L.:

Thanks for your comment. I'm sorry to hear this. In my experience, both Net-A-Porter & theOutnet.com are pretty receptive to customer feedback. Have you tried contacting them about it? It's worth a try.

Good luck,

Helene

[Mlle L.]

Dear Helene,

I agree with you that purchasing on The Outnet is very straightforward, that their selection is great, and their lay-out easy to navigate. I was also impressed with their packaging.

I was however slightly disappointed with their use of DHL. Due to their delivery times, it took me over a month to eventually receive the parcel (I couldn't take a day off before).

In my mind, many customers for both Net-a-Porter and The Outnet are working women not necessarily working from home. Some offices don't allow for personal deliveries at work, in which case getting the parcel can turn into a bit of a headache.

This being said, considering the success of both websites, I would guess that most people found DHL practical.

Best,

Mlle. L.

[willowblue]

why pay full retail ever again? the global financial crisis has put a question mark over the ``value'' of designer brands, which have been inflated to disproportionate amounts with their quality and availablity.
The brand frenzy over the past decade can be likened to `tulipmania'' - something brought up in the book The Brand Bubble, which I came across during lunch in Boxha cafe, a cosy library-style eaterie in Shanghai.
It's timely, and worth a read. Designer goods have become so commoditised that most are no longer ``luxury''.

[Helene]

Dear Cathy:

My only experience with online discount shopping is on theOutnet.com. In keeping with my editorial policy on The Luxe Chronicles, I don't promote brands or services unless I've actually had personal experience with them. While I'm familiar with the sites you mention, I've never shopped with them so I may not be the right person to answer your question.

I can tell you that what impressed me about theOutnet.com is how simple and straightforward it is to use (no 'on invitation only' or membership policy which I find a 'turn off' both online and off). Also, the merchandise is in impeccable condition upon delivery and their return policy is no-nonsense. This is ultimately what matters most to me as a consumer.

From a brand owner's perspective, you may be interested to know that theOutnet.com's director Stephanie Phair is formerly from Portero.com which is a site entrusted by many luxury brands for sale of their pre-owned merchandise (Cartier, Patek Philippe, Rolex, etc.). She has an innate understanding of brand value and the importance of presentation/merchandising which is undoubtedly something any brand owner would be concerned about in the context of discount shopping sites.

Good luck.

Helene

[Cathy Fossati]

There are few designer discount sites, ruelala, ideele, gilt, hautelook, editorscloset to name a few. I think they all run limited time sales to an invite only membership.

I'd be very interested in your and your readers thoughts on how running sample sales on these sites reflects on the brands that offer products.