Making money from Outlet stores

Thorpeedo944

If you have a few quid to invest you can try buying products from outlets (online and off-line). I have tried this and you can often get a minimum 20-30% profit on the original price you paid.

You do have to be quite selective about what you buy so it is worth doing your research before you go off shopping. If you're going to a shopping centre outlet like Gunwharf, Ashford or Bicester, you can check what shops are there beforehand and then research what is selling on eBay, Gumtree, etc.

Some nice bargains there to be had. Note that in clothing, girls/ladies clothing often sells better because they are more fashion conscious than guys.

TIPS: When selling on eBay/auction sites, make sure:

• You have a POWERFUL auction title
• You have good images of the product (preferably 2-3 min).
• You spend time on writing a clear description.
• You have the product sizing and colour visible.
• You state the original RRP so they can see what a bargain they are getting.

Look and see how the Powersellers present their products.

Good Luck Y'all!! :A

emski1234

Thank you for posting this. I've often thought about trying this out, would love to hear from anyone who does or has done this in the past. Although I would do my research first, I would be worried about buying the wrong thing and not making any profit. I am always inspired by peoples stories of charity shop purchases that sell well on ebay, but when I actually go to a charity shop I find I don't really know what I'm looking for.

busiscoming2

I tried it once. Bought a nice dress for £4.00 from Autonomy, but only made a £1 on it. The problem with Outlet shops IMO is they are selling the stuff that hasn't been sold in the main stores. There is a reason for that.

soolin

busiscoming2 wrote: »

I tried it once. Bought a nice dress for £4.00 from Autonomy, but only made a £1 on it. The problem with Outlet shops IMO is they are selling the stuff that hasn't been sold in the main stores. There is a reason for that.

There is a very good reason why outlets can sell say a £60 dress for £6, no one wanted it or it is the wrong size. Once you've added your fees, listing fees, final value fees paypal fees etc you have very little left. Then don't forget tax and NI and losses incurred when buyers execute their right to a return because they dont like it.

Work it all backwards before you decide whether it is going to work or not. You need a lot more than a 30% reduction to even break even, you really need to be looking at buying at a fraction of the RRP.

Hermia

I have a big shopping village near me, but I think the majority of stuff they sell would not be suitable. As other people have said you can often tell why the stuff has ended up there! There is a Monsoon/Accessorise outlet store. I love these shops usually, but have rarely found anything I have wanted to buy in the outlet store. There are some nice stores, but I don't think the markdown is enough in them. E.g. one sells Radley handbags, but they don't have a huge amount off them and after paying auction fees etc I wonder how much profit you could really make.

moneywasternomore!

Well, I have to beg to differ. I sold 2 Radley handbags a while back and made 100% profit on each. Paid for the 2 I gave as presents. BUT...they were marked down to 25% of their original price, so were a steal (not literally!!).

Also, be wary of where you shop. Bicester is such a huge tourist attraction, there are rarely bargains there. Gloucester and Swindon (for those in the south west) are better bets. Also, keep an eye out for stock in the sales; quality sells (Loake shoes reduced to £25 in Debenhams sale - sold for £73).

It is a gamble, especially if you list with a 99p start and keep your fingers crossed. Like any gambling, if you can't afford to lose once in a while, don't play. But there are some very ebay focused individuals out there who know not of the pleasures of money-saving (or even money-making!!)

daisygogo

We have an outlet near us and I find that Radley items always sell for at least double what I have paid for them and some mens designerwear such as ralph lauren poloshirts etc. I have tried looking in charity shops for potential ebay sales but I've never found anything apart from 2 first release Furbies which my daugther then claimed for herself :rotfl: I am waiting for when she stops playing with them as I've seen the same models selling on ebay for at least 3 times the amount what I paid for them.