Outlet malls are built around the thrill of a deal.But a new report reveals that many items sold at outlet stores are made specifically for those locations and are not the same as products found in traditional retail stores.The nonprofit Consumers' Checkbook surveyed 40 outlet stores across the country, from Adidas to Zales, and found half of those retailers were producing merchandise made exclusively for outlet locations."Their outlets were carrying nothing but things that were made especially for them," said Jennifer Barger, director of content at Consumers' Checkbook. "You pay less but you're also getting lower quality."Watch as Consumers' Checkbook shows what they found in outlet stores: Are outlet stores really a good deal?According to Consumers' Checkbook, some items may look like what you would find in a main retail store, but use different materials or lower-cost fabrics such as a dress made with synthetic linen instead of cotton, or a men's jacket manufactured without lining.How to identify made-for-outlet goodsHistorically, outlets were known for selling overstock or slightly damaged items at deep discounts. For some retailers, that is still the case, especially high-end luxury brands that still use outlets to sell last season's merchandise."Burberry, Louboutin, Lafayette 148 these really high-end brands they often don't have a ton of outlets, and they often are operating genuine clearance centers," Barger said.Home decor outlets are also more likely to sell original-store goods that are either discounted or slightly damaged versus made-for-outlet merchandise.For other retailers, Barger said subtle clues can help identify items made for outlets versus goods from the original store.At J.
Crew, for example, outlet items carry a distinct label."They have two diamonds underneath them. Whereas if you were at a regular J. Crew, the label inside would just say J.
Crew," Barger said.Consumers' Checkbook also identified the following label clues in its survey: Ann Taylor Factory Store: Labels say "Ann Taylor Factory" Banana Republic Factory: Three small diamonds under "Banana Republic" Brooks Brothers: Outlet items have an "1818" label versus "Established 1818" tags from the regular store LOFT Outlet: Labels say "LOFT outlet" Talbots Outlet: Labels have three dots under "Talbots" and are whiteFor a number of other retailers, there is no way to spot made-fo…
Summary from source