Have you been to Target or the Gap recently? Designer names like Stella McCartney, Roland Mouret, and Proenza Schouler are proudly displayed over racks of hip outfits made from cashmere, silk and other high-end materials.
It’s a rare day when I stray from the housewares or the children’s sections of Target over to women’s apparel, so when I saw the designer duds hanging in the aisles there I was shocked. The prices were shocking too.
Designers, whose work would normally sell for hundreds of dollars, if not thousands, are now being sold at Target and the Gap for just $50 or $100—amazing. (By the way, H&M’s new line from Madonna is just as reasonable.) But, if you’re like me you’re probably asking what’s the catch (there’s always a catch, right)?
According to the Target manager I spoke with, the designer clothes are part of a limited edition. They’re extremely popular and they’re only available for a short time. Four to six weeks tops. Which is why savvy shoppers have been stuffing their carts full of clothes, belts and bags… right when they hit the floor.
But in some cases the designer items are not going to fill a single customer’s closet. Many of the pieces are being resold on eBay.
According to the Target manager, one female customer who was in recently told her that she is making a tidy profit auctioning the wares she got at the discount retailer. In fact, I was told that same customer had the Target manager call six other Target locations to hold items she wanted to purchase then resell.
Don’t believe it—log onto eBay. An item by Madonna–a trench coat that sold in H&M for around $99—sold on eBay for almost $300. Since the clothing items are limited edition they are considered collector’s items. Only so many pieces were made and timing is everything.
These days the high end line that’s generating the most buzz is Kate Moss’ designs for British merchant Topshop. Due to high demand, that store actually placed a limit on the number of items customers can buy. As far as Target and H&M go, employees there say they don’t put a limit on purchases. And there are no laws against selling clothes on eBay, so the Target employee told me, if a customer makes a ton of money reselling her merchandise–more power to her.
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