Bloomingdale's The OutletWhat to buy and what discounts there are

Bloomingdale's The Outlet are the outlets of the Bloomingdale's department store, about twenty across the country, often in big outlet centers (for example, Woodbury Common in New York and Sawgrass Mills in Florida). They carry clothing, shoes, bags and accessories from premium brands from the main department store, plus some items made specially for the outlet. You can find brands a level above mass-market at a reasonable price. The selection depends heavily on the location and changes with deliveries.

The chain does not publish a full list of brands. Shoppers most often find Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade and Michael Kors bags and Boss and Hugo menswear; Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, Karl Lagerfeld, Guess, Tory Burch, UGG and, rarely, Valentino also turn up. The stores are small, and the most expensive bags are usually kept under glass.

A tag usually shows two prices: "compare at" and the outlet price, and the difference is typically 30-70%. "Compare at" is a reference point, not necessarily the price the item sold for in the department store, especially if it was made for the outlet. Look at the final price and the brand, not the discount percentage. On top of the price there can be promotions for an extra percentage off - they are announced in the Bloomingdale's email newsletter.