Free Clark's Big Book of Bargains by Clark Howard Page B

wear when you’re painting the bedroom.
    Outlet stores today, conveniently located by an Interstate exit next to 150 other stores, are not true outlets. They’re shopping malls, and the merchandise sold at this sort of outlet usually isn’t a bargain. Modern outlets have proliferated because department stores, trying to prevent comparison shopping, sell more private-label merchandise than ever before. That has forced the brand-name manufacturers to create their own stores to sell their goods.
    If you’re really sold on a brand name or a designer, the selection at an outlet will be far superior to what you’ll see at a department store. But the prices won’t be any better. Modern outlets actually have split into three sectors—stores that sell lower-priced goods, stores that sell mid-priced merchandise, and stores that sell high-end merchandise.
    The deals in an outlet store are not the merchandise that’s well displayed at the front of the store. The bargains—mostly irregulars or past-season merchandise—usually are in the back of the store, maybe even in a separate room. So if you shop outlets, walk past the high-priced stuff and look for the deals.
    Going-Out-of- Business Sales
    When you see a sign that says a local store is going out of business and marking everything way down, be careful. Most going-out-of-business sales are rip-offs, because instead of selling the remaining merchandise in the store for less, the store sells all of its merchandise in one transaction to a liquidator. The liquidator then brings in all kinds of new merchandise, and marks it with supposedly big discounts. It might bring in a sofa that supposedly was $1,400 before the store had to sell out, and now sells for $300. But the sofa never sold for $1,400. It was brought in to make money during the liquidation. In a given liquidation, this sort of “fake merchandise” might make up 20 to 80 percent of everything being sold.
    If you’re going to shop at a going-out-of-business sale, shop only for merchandise that you have an opportunity to compare to similar merchandise in other stores, or for things that you know well enough to be able to determine whether the 60-percent-off “sale” price is hype or a true bargain.
    Some stores are constantly “going out of business” but never actually close. That’s a deceptive business practice that is illegal in most states. Oriental rug shops have become infamous for pulling these fake going-out-of-business sales. Most states now limit such sales to a certain number of days, and require that the store close at the end of the sale. But these laws are widely abused. Obviously, you should stay away from fake going-out-of-business sales.
    Online Coupons
    Coupons are a great way to save money, and you can find online coupons very easily. Go to your favorite search engine and search for “coupon code” and you’ll see a variety of Web sites with discount offers. If you see a deal you like, maybe for free shipping, use the special coupon code like you would a paper coupon.
    • Tips on Clothing •
     
Wait until the season actually begins, rather than before the season, when retailers want you to buy.
Skip the department store and try fashion-oriented discounters such as Kohl’s or Target.
Men can buy good-quality suits at discounters such as Men’s Wearhouse, K&G, and S&K for $100 to $130.
Save by buying nearly new used clothing.
Be careful at outlet stores. There are very few bargains, and those are usually in the back of the store.
Most going-out-of-business sales involve merchandise that was brought in for the sale and labeled with fake discounts by a liquidator.
Look for online coupons by typing “coupon code” into a search engine.
    * SHOES *
    Women’s Shoes
    Women’s shoes are far, far less expensive than they used to be, so much so that women can now buy a very fine pair of shoes for about $25. There’s a tremendous variety and quality in that price range, so why pay more?
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