Only a select few retailers carry any premium and luxury branded apparel, handbags and footwear. T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Ross Dress for Less are great retailers, but all focus on mainstream brands with no premium or luxury assortment. When you are shopping for luxury branded apparel, handbags and footwear, there is no need to look there. This overview provides everything you need to know about the retailers that you need to shop to find discounted luxury brands.
The Off-Price Retailers
These retailers offer a broad assortment of luxury brand apparel, handbags and footwear. Read on to see which ones should be a regular part of your luxury shopping routine.
Rue La La (and its sister brand Gilt) offers and broad range of luxe and premium brands at substantial discounts. Prices do fluctuate frequently, which means the discounts do too. You have to pay attention to make sure you are getting a good deal. If you are willing to invest some time, you can take quick action when the discounts get attractive. Rue La La offers a premium shopping experience which has led many luxury brands to choose the site to sell their inventory at substantial discounts while still protecting its luxury brand cache. Much of the product on Rue La La also appears on Gilt.
Gilt (and its sister brand Rue La La) offers and broad range of luxe and premium brands at substantial discounts. Prices do fluctuate frequently, which means the discounts do too. You have to pay attention to make sure you are getting a good deal. If you are willing to invest some time, you can take quick action when the discounts get attractive. Like Rue La La, Gilt offers a premium shopping experience which has led many luxury brands to choose the site to sell their inventory at substantial discounts while still protecting its luxury brand cache. Much of the product on Gilt also appears on Rue La La.
Stores are a mixed bag similar to the treasure hunt experience of other off-pricers. The mix has definitely moved away from designer and premium brands to brands with more mass appeal. The online site has a much better selection of designer brands. Its New York City location is a great store to go on a treasure hunt for particularly for luxury shoe brands.
Offers a wide selection of apparel, shoes, handbags and beauty items but the designer selection is very limited particularly in handbags. The focus on the assortment skews to premium versus luxury brands. The stores used to feature a separate designer shoe section, but no longer. You will rarely find anything from Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik or other highly sought after shoe brands. There are still some great finds both online and in stores, but selection and discounts are better at other retailers.
This is run by RueGiltGroupe. In an effort to create a digital presence the site offers discounts on luxury and premium brands. Discounts can be attractive and the stable of brands is increasing. Their luxury-focused outlet malls are a fantastic source of heavily discounted clearance items. Definitely worth adding to your shopping routine.
Part of YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP. Focuses exclusively on luxury fashion at a discount with over 350 brands. Discounts can be up to 70% so there is good reason to keep the The Outnet on your list. The assortment is focused on previous seasons' designs at discount prices. Products definitely seem to be to be older even versus other off-pricers.
Mostly mass brands. Offers some "designer brands," but selection is comprised of only a few premium brands; Luxury branded apparel, handbags and footwear like Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik are not available. Customers are responsible for all return shipping charges.
Among the first online retailers to specialize in discounted designer fashions. It has struggled in recent years, but still offers a host of desirable brands at some attractive prices. The range of sizes for each product appears to be very limited. Many are final sale which means no returns. Bottom line: Worth a quick look but will not be a part of your regular routine.
Luxury Department Stores
In some instances, the luxury department stores will be your best or only source of significant discounts on luxury apparel, handbags and footwear. Luxury brands trust these retailers to maintain a premium shopping experience where most of their merchandise is sold at full price. They also rely on these retailers to discreetly sell excess inventory at discounts without diluting brand equity. Some luxury brands will ONLY sell through these retailers and their own stores and websites.
Bergdorf Goodman is an iconic brand that often has private online sales with a curated list of luxury brands as well as broader sales that have significant discounts. The deals are more discreet, so it pays to sign up for the email alerts. The flagship store in New York City is a landmark and a must-visit. The shoe sale on the 6th floor offers a bit of glorious mayhem but you can find fantastic deals.
Perhaps the premier luxury department store in the US. Neimans can be a great source of discounts both online and in stores. It has an excellent selection of apparel, handbags and footwear and despite its high-priced reputation, offers luxury goods at some incredibly attractive discounts. The deals are discreet, so sign up for the email alerts. It doesn’t have very many Neiman Marcus lastcall outlet stores anymore, but the ones that remain are definitely worth a visit.
Another premier luxury department store in the US. It sits slightly below Bergdorf Goodman and Neiman Marcus on the upper echelon of luxury department stores, but above Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s. It has an excellent selection of apparel, handbags and footwear and despite its premier reputation, offers luxury goods at some incredibly attractive discounts. The deals are not marketed widely, so sign up for the email alerts. It also runs Fashion Flash sales that offer great discounts for limited time periods. The flagship store in New York City is a landmark and a must-visit. It Saks Off Fifth off-price division is covered below.
Iconic brand known for its customer service. It offers a wide selection of designer apparel, shoes and handbags; Discounts seem to top out around 40-50% versus more substantial discounts at Bergdorf's, Neiman Marcus and Saks. More substantial discounts are likely reserved for its Nordstrom Rack off-price format.
Another iconic luxury department store. Its flagship New York City location is a must see. Substantial discounts can be found for premium and some luxury brands. Beyond the flagship location Bloomingdale's does not carry the really high end luxury brands like Christian Louboutin, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton.
Luxury Online Retailers
These retailers are focused on premium online shopping experiences. While full-priced merchandise is the focus, they often have sales at compelling prices. Read on to see which ones to add to your luxury shopping routine.
Farfetch is an e-commerce company focused on luxury clothing and beauty products. It operates as a digital marketplace that sells products from several hundred brands, boutiques and department stores from around the world. Our analysis shows that Farfetch doesn’t always have the best discounts, but it often has the broadest assortment of luxury apparel, handbags and footwear. So, it should definitely be one of your regular visits and may just be the only retailer that has something you just have to have.
Mytheresa is an e-commerce site offering luxury apparel, handbags and shoes from over 200 brands. It has strong partnerships with many brands and even collaborates with designers on exclusive collections. It has a broad assortment, and sales offer attractive discounts. It's worth a regular visit.
Part of YOOX NET-A-PORTER GROUP. Offers more than 800 of the world’s most coveted designer brands. Focuses on current season and trends but also has sales. While its sister company, The Outnet, offers many of the same brands, the products do not overlap much, if at all.
Happy Shopping!
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