Why Pay Retail?

The morning was chilly and wet and I was bundled up in a trench coat and my favorite scarf when I ducked into for my morning latte. I plunked down onto the padded booth and noticed that a young man was staring at me. Well, more to the point, at my neck. “I like your scarf,” he said, and something in the way he said it reassured me that he had Burberry lust and nothing more.

“Oh, thanks,” I said, touching my neck. “It was a gift. I don’t think I would have splashed out $300 on a muffler.”

“You might not have to,” he said. “I recently found a Burberry plaid belt for $32.”

I put down my latte. “Really? Where?” I am one of those moms who, despite mortgage payments and summer-camp fees, refuses to give up buying good clothes. When I was a teenager I used to spend the entire summer organizing my closet according to category—jackets, skirts, blouses—and color, and then fastidiously cataloguing my dresses, shoes, belts and even my hair clips. My mom’s typical uniform was baggy jeans, sneakers and a panda T-shirt—she had six kids running around, for goodness sake—so I’m not entirely sure where I got this sartorial predisposition. But I got it. And bad.

“Oh, discount shopping,” the young man said, tossing back his espresso. “There’s a treasure trove of deals to be had out there. I once found an Oscar de la Renta tie for $1.99, Ben Sherman ties for $7. Lucky jeans for $29. Yep, crazy, isn’t it?”

I leaned in. He had me at “discount.”

This young man’s name was Aaron Molnar, a Montreal native who grew up in Southern California. He works in the retail industry and he has a wildfire passion for—you guessed it—clothes. Especially when he can get them for less.

For the next half hour, he regaled me with his discount-shopping adventures, and I found his strategies engaging and inventive so I took out a notepad and started scribbling notes.

He said his favorite in-town places to score deals were the big off-price luxury retailers such as Nordstrom Rack (there’s one just a few minutes away on Glendale Avenue in Glendale) and Loehman’s (the Pasadena branch just closed, but there is an excellent one near the Beverly Center), which stock cut-price pieces from such brands as Juicy Couture, DKNY, Free People, and, yes, Burberry at shockingly low prices.

You can even find some nifty Los Angeles designer clothes on Loehman’s racks. (I know this because when my fashion-designer friend decided to call it quits on her oh-so-chic women’s line, I remember she first held a sample sale at her factory and then she sold the rest of her stock to Loehman’s for one lump sum. Her $450 coats were selling there for about $80.) Molnar’s other favorite off-price venues were the big middle-of-nowhere retail outlets, such as Ontario Mills.

Here is his favorite plan of attack for all these off-price stores:

1. Before you go, pop online and see if there are any coupons you can find for the stores you are about to visit.

2. Ditch the vanity and wear comfortable clothes and practical shoes (although both can be stylish of course). You’ll need your stamina not for balancing on stilettos but for the retail adventure to come. 

2. Give yourself some time to look around—at least two hours. Things can be messy and in the wrong place. You never know what you may find and where, so be sure to scour all the racks and all the sizes. (On that note, pack a snack bar and a bottle of water in your bag, too!)

3. If you find something fabulous and in a popular size, pick it up—even if it’s not for you. Aaron once bought a designer piece and sold it on eBay for nearly twice what he paid for it.

4. Before you hand over your credit card, ask the employee who rings you up for any in-store coupons or discounts.

5. Once at the counter, ask your salesperson to put you on a mailing list or an e-mail list. You’ll then receive coupons in the mail and become a priority customer for special occasions or events.

6. Even at these off-price retailers, you should ask about sale days. Every store has their sales.

Of course, Eagle Rock’s downtown has its own discount retailers, for example, , a children’s clothing outlet, , a vintage and consignment shop for women, and , a resale and consignment shop for children, all on Eagle Rock Boulevard. Molnar, however, was planning on finding deals at the full-price independent boutiques in the neighborhood. How?

“Ooh, that’s my favorite,” he cooed. “I haggle! My advice is never to be reluctant to try to talk down the price. But be nice—people like those who are nice.”

I took the same question to boutique owner Leanna Lin, whose eponymously named gallery and store sells artful prints, jewelry and handbags. How, I asked her, could a shopper tactfully and successfully ask for a discount at an independent boutique. “If you are sincere and nice,” she says, “a store owner is more likely to say yes."

What are other ways to score a discount?

Lin cited two major strategies: Asking for a deal when you buy more than one item or asking for a discount when you offer to pay in cash.

In the world of clothing retailers, does it help to saunter in a store looking great, wearing the boutique’s wares with panache, and thus serving as a walking advertisement? “Sure,” says Lin. “A walking advertisement is always a positive thing!”

One last tip for scooping up a deal at an independent boutique: Come back—and often. “Being a return customer always makes us happy!” says Lin. “I like knowing that my pieces will be going to a good home.”