Outlets Offer Deals, But Quality May Not Be The Tops

LAKEWOOD, Colo. (CBS4) - With Christmas only a week away families are looking to stretch their dollar, so they often hit the outlet malls.

"I got really good deals on three purses, sweatshirts and shirts for everybody in the family," a shopper told CBS4.

The shopper said she saved more than $150 in just one hour of shopping at the outlet stores at Colorado Mills Mall.

"I have gotten really good buys but you have to look for them," she said.

Cheapism.com sent crews out to outlet malls to holiday shop and compare prices. On average, researchers saved 30 percent or more. But they found in some cases the merchandise was inferior to that in regular retail stores.

"You have to really pay attention if products were made for outlets or if they were from last season," Max Levitte with Cheapism.com said.

There are some brands that manufacture everything for outlet. Quite often it's a little bit lower grade than you'd find in the regular retail store.

"The fabric and textures aren't the same heavy duty," Levitte said.

Still for some items shoppers say outlets are unbeatable.

Something else to keep in mind is that coupons usually work at outlet stores. Also remember to ask about return policies as it can sometimes be more difficult to return the merchandise.

LINK: Cheapism.com