Do the village people really get a bargain?
They are the playground of footballers’ wives and are spreading across the country like wildfire. The success of factory outlets has been fuelled largely by claims that designer goods are available at up to 75% off, but are they all they’re cracked up to be? There are 37 outlet complexes in Britain, and their lifeblood is convincing consumers they can get their mits on everything from DKNY to Nike for a fraction of the high street price. Call them what you like, designer outlets, factory shops, discount shopping centres, outlet villages – all make the same claim that millions of people are flocking each year and finding bargains galore. If their bottom lines and footfall are anything to go by, then they may be right. In July 2000, the Consumers’ Association took a look at the growing phenomenon. They wanted to check that claims about dramatically discounted goods would stand up to scrutiny and that consumers were getting value for money. They sent a retail expert on a mystery shopping
