Personal Finance Resources: Financial Education & Literacy

How to Shop for Designer Brands for Less

Written by PSECU | Dec 7, 2017 8:56:45 PM

Looking great in your favorite designer doesn’t have to break the bank. Instead of paying full price for the brand names you love, check out some options below to snag a great bargain.

Secondhand Stores

Some consignment shops and websites specifically resell only designer brands at a lower cost. In addition to selling designer clothes for a low price, many stores will also pay you for your unwanted designer brand clothing and accessories. There are also many websites that sell gently used clothing, shoes, and accessories from designers. If you like to shop locally, secondhand stores and even secondhand children’s stores specifically have become popular in many areas and keep the business in your region.

Outlet Shops

Outlets are a great place to save when shopping while looking for designer brands. They often carry similar or identical items regular stores carry, but for less. Most of the time, many outlet shops are all located in one spot, so it’s convenient to shop from store to store. Sign up for your favorite stores’ mailing lists so you’re alerted when sale events are going to happen. Another tip: create a second email for store mailing lists and coupons. That way, your primary inbox isn’t being flooded with store emails.

Flash Sales

While some stores have a standing sale and clearance rack, other retail stores have seasonal or semi-annual sales when items are marked down. These kinds of sales often happen sometime in the summer, and then again after the holiday season. Other large retailers have semi-annual sales, and may mark down items to more than 50% off. These types of sales are a great way to stock up on your favorite items for prices you can’t beat. This is also a good time to stock up on off-season clothes.

Online Buy & Sell Sites

There are many buy and sell websites, and these can be a great place to find designer goods for less. Because items are sold by other consumers and businesses, there’s a wide variety of both used and new designer products available for purchase. While it may take some time to scroll through pages of products, you can find specific products from various brands that you may be not be able to find anywhere else. While it’s common to get a good deal, watch for signs that a website may be fraudulent. One red flag – you have to wire money.

Renting

If you’re only looking for a designer brand item for a specific occasion – such as a wedding, work event, or other more formal occasion, renting may be the best option. You can rent high-end designer goods and clothing for a short period of time from a growing number of websites. These companies make it possible to rent items for a specific amount of time at a fraction of what it would cost to purchase them.

These are just a few ways you can make your wallet work for you.

For more ways to save, visit our WalletWorks page.