Outlet malls aren't what they used to be

When you buy something at an outlet mall, do you know what you're getting?

If you think it's a top-quality, brand-name product at a deep discount, think again.

Ten years ago, that may have been true. But most brands now sell lesser-quality merchandise made just for their outlets.

Whether you're still getting a good deal depends on whom you ask.

Some consumer advocates liken it to a bait-and-switch.

"It's an abuse of the brand. Most consumers don't realize what they're getting," said Jamie Court, president of Consumer Watchdog.

But outlet mall owners argue that the stores are only giving the public what it wants — brand-name goods at bargain-basement prices.

Premium Outlets is by far the largest player in the industry, with 65 locations in 29 states.

Upscale fashion icons, including Coach and Juicy Couture, maintain a separate product line for their outlet stores, representatives for the brands said. Clothing retailer Gap Inc., which owns Banana Republic, also manufactures products exclusively for its outlets or "factory stores."

"There's no cross-pollination. Retail stuff never ends up here," said Daryl Higgins, manager of the Gap Outlet store in Folsom, Calif.

Several outlet store managers said the difference between outlet and retail products can be so subtle that they are rarely discernible to the everyday shopper.

Hagen Thompson, manager of the Loft Outlet in Folsom, explained that a sweater in a regular retail store with a 12-bow embroidery might have just seven bows in the outlet version, along with a cheaper fabric. Loft Outlet is a subsidiary of Ann Taylor.

To be sure, outlets are big business. Since 2006, 39 outlet centers have opened, compared with only one regional mall, according to Value Retail News, the outlet industry's trade publication.

When outlet malls first appeared nearly 40 years ago, they didn't make much money, serving mostly as a channel to get rid of goods no one wanted.

But their popularity has exploded; there are now more than 300 of them in the United States.

"The retailers have made it into a pretty profitable business. Outlet space at current levels is fully occupied. It's an appealing business for others to get into," said D.J. Busch, a mall analyst at Green Street Advisors of Newport Beach, Calif.

Spending at outlet malls is expected to top $25 billion this year, up from $19.9 billion in 2009.

"People started watching their budgets because of the recession, but weren't necessarily ready to give up their favorite brands," said Linda Humphers, editor-in-chief of Value Retail News.

Separate product lines allow brands to appeal to shoppers with different priorities.

"Some consumers want the latest and greatest, but then you have shoppers who only seek out bargains," said Anthony Dukes, associate professor of marketing at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business. "Manufacturers recognize they must have different price points."

Outlets often tout prices of 25 percent to 65 percent less than full retail. But the discounts are not an apples-to-apples comparison, since outlet goods are different both in quality and style from their regular retail counterparts.

"Given consumer psychology, retailers have an incentive to make the price look high at one point and reduce it to make the deal look big," said Dukes, who specializes in retail and pricing strategies. "I wouldn't be surprised if this plays out in outlets."

"We don't get the browsers; we get the shoppers," said Maura Eggan, western region marketing vice president for Premium Outlets. "You expect them to leave with a lot of shopping bags."

Among those confirmed to be selling made-for-outlet products are: Ann Taylor, Banana Republic, Coach, Gap, Juicy Couture, Loft and Polo Ralph Lauren, representatives for the brands said. Many more brands did not respond to inquiries about their outlet business.

Tommy Bahama, the Seattle manufacturer famous for its Hawaiian shirts, is one company bucking the trend. It continues to use outlets to liquidate unsold merchandise from its flagship stores.