Tips from a super shopper

Anne Galletta doesn’t shop for a living, but she has all the requisite skills to be a card-carrying professional. By day, Galletta is the senior administrative assistant to Consumer Reports’ Editorial Director, Kevin McKean. Outside the office, she’s a mall maven — outlet mall, that is — sniffing out killer deals like a $500 Jones New York dress suit for $160 or a casual pullover shirt for 97 cents. 

“I’m not a shopaholic, but a bargain hunter,” say Galletta, who does 80 percent of her shopping at manufacturers’ outlet stores because she can pile coupon on top of coupon and walk away with unbeatable bargains. On Dec. 26, Galletta began gathering half-price gifts, which she’ll stow in her attic until next Christmas. Her serious holiday shopping begins during the summer, and her rallying cry is “I have a coupon.” 

Does she ever. With careful planning and a determined attitude – Galletta is never afraid to challenge a sales clerk about a questionable price – our intrepid shopper has been able to roll up some impressive finds: 

• A Calvin Klein men’s leather jacket, $249 list, for $100. The sale price was 50 percent off retail, and she got another 20 percent off by printing out a coupon from the mall’s Web site at home. 

• An Izod hooded winter jacket and sweatshirt for $26. The jacket was originally priced at $60, the sweatshirt $30. Having provided her e-mail address to the chain, Galletta got a $10 coupon off her next purchase of $15 or more. She downloaded another coupon from the store’s Web site for an additional 15 percent off “any one item,” and used a third, for a 10 percent bonus, from a coupon book she picked up at the mall customer service office as a member of a frequent shopper club. 

Here are Galletta’s tips for saving time and maximizing savings at the outlets: 

• Plan your trip in advance. Outlet centers tend to be located off the beaten path, consist of dozens of stores, and attract large crowds, especially on weekends. Before leaving home, make a list of the stores you want to hit and the merchandise you’d like to buy.

• Visit the outlet mall’s Web site for exclusive coupons, and link to the individual stores themselves. Also, check out hyperlinks to upcoming holidays or special events that could land you even bigger savings. The big three outlet brands are Tanger, Prime, and Chelsea Premium. 

• Join a preferred- or frequent-shopper club. Membership is generally free or involves a nominal fee. The best part about belonging to a club is the bonus coupon book (usually free, too), which you can pick up on the day of your visit at the customer service office. Coupons in the book are typically listed in alphabetical order by store.

• Sign up for snail mail or e-mail alerts to upcoming sales at your favorite stores. If you’re willing to provide your e-mail address, additional coupons may come your way.

• Shop the front and the back of the store first. Near the entrance is where you’ll find promotional merchandise dangled at low prices to draw you inside. In the back, you’ll find clearance goods at rock-bottom prices. Merchandise with the fattest markup is usually displayed in the middle of the store.

• Seek out additional discounts through membership in organizations like AAA or AARP. In addition, many outlet centers have designated senior shopping days (for those 50 or older), often a Tuesday, where qualifying individuals can save another 10 percent.

• Read the fine print. Does the sign above the merchandise or writing on the coupon say the discount is taken off the lowest ticketed price or the artificially high original “retail” price. Does the discount apply to your entire purchase or a single item?

• Look carefully at your receipt. At the bottom of some receipts you’ll find discounts off your next purchase. 

• Take your case to the manager. When Galletta eyed sweaters marked $19.99 at Jones New York, there was an accompanying sign that read “buy one get one 50% off.” At the register, though, the v-neck rang up at $10 more than the crew neck, even though both types were on the sale rack. She complained to the manager and won.

• Eye irregulars carefully. Some of the biggest outlet bargains are on merchandise described as “seconds,” blemished,” “irregular,” or “B-stock.” Although the flaws our usually minor, check to see if there are machine-oil stains, messy glue jobs, or mismatched stripes and seams. If you can live with the flaws, you can save a bundle.

Comments

[Charles Hall]

I am looking for a simple, large print easy to read CD for a 75 year old who has poor vision. Do you know of a store or web site that specializes in this type of thing?

Thanks,

Charlie Hall

[Ann]

great info and tips...I recently purchased 8 pairs of boots for under $100 off the Nordstrom Last Chance rack and one of the pairs was only 2.99!

there are also many bargain and deal sites out there that let you know of coupons and the latest deals. Most of these can easily be found by doing a search on delicious.