Factory Outlet Shopping in Providence, RI

On the prowl for the best bargains and deep everyday discounts in Greater Providence?

Check out the Ann & Hope Factory Outlet stores. Here you'll find the best deals in Greater Providence for everything from nursery offerings to top-quality designer bedding and linens -- all at deep discounts. The prescription eyewear department offers two pair of single vision (any RX) glasses for $150 on selected frames. The linen department at Ann & Hope features oversized spa towels - those rich, luxurious, thick, double-sided hard-to-find spa towels -- for just $5.95 each. And let''s not even TALK about the shoe outlet! There you'll find Rikers, Timberlake, and WeeJun's, all on any given day, and at deep discounts. Colors and the selection varies at the Anne & Hope Outlet, but at these prices, who's complaining? Find them on Post Road in Warwick, at 1 Ann & Hope Way in Cumberland, or at 140 Taunton Avenue in Seekonk. Beware. Hold onto your shopping cart, or the overzealous clerks, eager to lock the doors at 8PM SHARP, will put YOUR stuff away. Open daily 10AM-8PM.

The American Tourister Factory Outlet store at 91 Main Street in Warren provides all of the wonderful luggage you'll ever need to tote your Ann & Hope purchases around! There you''ll find full sets of discontinued luggage items, and even deeper discounts on one-of-a-kinders. Don''t forget to peruse the sudski and gizmo isles, too. There you''ll discover stuff like large-print luggage tags in fun, Day-Glo colors, better quality shaving kits, and "executive" golf kits, with a little something extra (a flask) included. Let''s not forget Fido. We bought a flashing light for our (jet black) dog''s collar there several years ago and it's still going strong. Beats tying a flashlight to him for those midnight strolls through Greater Providence. Shop them daily from 10AM-5PM.

If you're in the market for something larger, and you believe form follows function, then the Appliance Factory Outlet on Atwood Avenue in Johnston is for you. Selling new, but slightly (ok, maybe a little more than slightly in some cases, but that''s your call) dented appliances, The Appliance Factory Outlet offers deep discounts on everything from stoves to side-by-side refrigerators. All are fully functioning and are warranted for ninety days to be free of defects. It doesn't take a genius to figure out, once you survey the inventory, this is where Sears disposes of its "reshops." Compare the prices, and this may just prove to be the coolest thing in Greater Providence. A friend purchased an electric flattop range there for $395.00 (Normally over $900.00) and a top-of-the-line, energy saver side-by-side refrigerator with an icemaker in the door for $900.00 (Normally over $2500.00). Visit them daily 10Am-5PM.

Don't let the name fool you. "Tuesday Morning" is open every day at 10AM -- and until 9PM, too. But if you want the best buys, get there early. Offering Greater Providence a wild mix of almost anything imaginable - except maybe a rib roast - Tuesday Morning proves to be a free-for-all, so be prepared to dig when you show up. It's a great place for kid's stuff, clothes and toys, and for household goods. Deep discounts on designer linens appear to be a theme at Tuesday Morning. My friend Kim got an upscale puppet theater with the finger puppets for less than $20 on one recent foray. I got a Hunter four-speed ceiling fan for $39.95, and an oversized, weighted pizza cutter with a built-in shield and blade guard for $4.95. Find them in the Staples Plaza on Bald Hill Road in Warwick.

Now you have your fridge, and your stove, you need a trip to Big Lots to find something to fill them up. You''ll find fantastic discounts on gourmet items like Quaker Granola, (at juts $4.99 for a 4LB package -- and a "buy one and get one free" special, - that's a 1/4 of the price of the grocer across the street), imported jams and jellies, and Twinnings teas, they''re hard to beat. Toss in the even better bargains on staples, like Heinz Catsup at $1.99 for a 64oz bottle, $4 for a 2LB bag of Melita coffee, and .99 for a box of Saltines, and this proves to be Providence''s premier choice to Stop & Shop. A survey of the Health and Beauty isle reveals upscale brands like "Kiss My Face" and "Thom's" as well as the standards to which we've all become accustomed at affordable prices. Housewares, pet supplies, clothing, craft items, and children''s items are also featured. I found a doggie gate here, (the identical item is featured at the local PetCo for $65), for just $16.99, and a Petite (I can NEVER find petite ANYTHING) London Fog dress coat for $39.95. I also purchased a medium-sized box of vacuum sealed smoked Pacific Northwest Salmon -- a Big Lots seasonal special -- for my Canadian-descended father for around $13.00. This exact product retails elsewhere for over $30.00.

Now, if I could just get somebody to put all of this stuff away for me. . . .