Deal or No Deal?
Long awaited by luxury shoppers searching for a deal, theOutnet – the new sales site from Net-a-Porter, went live this morning. Of course, I checked it out the second I received the email. One of the major problems I had with the sales section of Net-a-Porter was that I kept spotting pieces that were 4 or 5 seasons old marked down about 30% when they had gone on clearance at Barneys months prior. Plus the stock was rarely replenished so I never found any good deals.
They seem to have gotten their act together a little better with the launch of theOutnet. I noticed that new designers will be added on a weekly basis- already an improvement from the old sale site. While browsing the shoe section, I saw these nude Brian Atwood pumps marked down 80% from $650 to $130. Score. that is, until I clicked on the link and found it was sold out.
I did, however, manage to pick up a pair of Jimmy Choo smooth black wrap sandals (the same ones on Nina’s Lust List ) for $261. Not quite oulet prices- but a good buy for a pair of truly classic shoes.
I was pretty happy with the site until I spotted signs of Net-a-Porter’s old ways. While browsing dresses, I spotted this Narcisco Rodriguez for $645. Really? I got that for around $400 a year and a half ago from eLuxury. To be frank, I wasn’t too impressed with any of the clothing discounts. Although designer, a lot of the pieces still ring up shockingly high, $500+. I already know that I’ll be mostly trolling for shoes on theOutnet.
However, theOutnet’s liberal return policy as well as their Flash Sales (reminiscent of the many other private sale sites out there) will probably keep me checking back frequently.
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COMMENTS
i was underwhelmed by the launch, too =( great find on the choos! i’ll probably check the site every now and then… they’ll probably bank on the shoppers who either a) don’t know their designers/collections/seasons or b) crazy impulse buyers. I sometimes fall in category b). unfortunately.
completely agree! i found the same problems. everything great was sold out- why leave it online? and sizes were super limited. thanks for an un-biased review of the site. think it’s important for fashion/beauty blogs to give honest feedback instead of always raving about products… how will the reader know what to invest in and what not to?
Yes, I agree, Outnet is a big disappointment. They need to increase their discounts overall,, and especially for the short-stock items.
Excellent score on the Jimmys, I’m jealous!! I’m still holding out for the silver ones though. Thanks for looking through the site and reporting your finds – I agree, it looks like I’ll use the shoe section and flash sales only. The other markdowns are definitely not compelling enough.