5 Tips for Shopping at Outlet Malls

A top yearly highlight for me is my mother's family reunion in the Texas Hill Country.  Aside from rocky hills and clear blue streams, the Austin area has my favorite attraction--the San Marcos Outlet Malls.  This place is not for the faint of heart.  With over 350 stores, the Tanger and Prime Outlet centers are a beacon of cheap goods for shoppers around the world.  I once got caught in a midnight traffic jam for over two hours trying to get in for Black Friday sales.

You'll need a GPS system and leashes for all the children, but most importantly, come armed with insider information to getting the best deals.

1. Eradicate the word "sale" from your vocabulary.
Women, this tip's for you.  When we see a cocktail dress for $549.99 marked down to just $130 (on the obese clearance aisles) we feel like we've struck gold, cheated the house.  At such a deep discount it's hard to pass up.  I would encourage you to ignore the litany of markdowns in red felt tip pen--would you have bought it if the MSRP were $130?  Outlet malls are notorious for huge price gaps that may not have existed to begin with.  As attendance and sales have skyrocketed over the last decade, owners have wised up to the "outlet=best deals" motto.

2. Avoid crowds at all costs.
Part of scoring a deal is keeping your cool.  When surrounded by mounds of discarded clothing and frantic shoppers snatching up handfuls of jeans, you really need to go away and come back later.  No one can really pinpoint at what point a crowd becomes an angry mob, but basement prices and frenzied deal seekers are a perfect recipe for disaster.  The best time I've found to shop the outlet malls are mornings during the week or, if you must on the weekend, the earlier the better.   

3. Get outlet coupons.
Sign up for those annoying emailed coupons from the outlet mall--they will pay off.  Many offer a flat percentage off purchases from any one store and give additional holiday coupons, food discounts, and current deals.  Prime Outlets and Tanger Outlets keep their promotions up to date.  I wouldn't buy a coupon book, even though they're cheap.  You'll end up spending more to "make up" for the cost of the book.

4. Wolves in Saks clothing.
Beware that not all outlet stores in a designated mall are truly outlet--where retailers sell their name brands directly to the public.  Some malls require as little as 10% true outlet retailers to label their location as an outlet mall.  This is where your phone Internet browser comes in handy.  Do a quick on-the-spot price check with goods sold online to make sure you're getting a deal.

5. Most stores offer the same percentage off.
Retailers generally give the same amount off at an outlet location.  So if you're waiting for even lower prices, just check back in a couple of weeks and those jeans will be predictably lower.

Bear in mind when you make the trek to Outlet Mall Central, you are not guaranteed a deal.  Bring a must-have list and stick with it.  Always keep a close eye on your cash stash and make an emergency meet-up plan in case your party splits.