What to Expect from the New Lane Bryant Outlets
Not Just Discontinued Plus Size Styles and Knock-offs
Don't know what to expect from the new Lane Bryant Outlet plus size clothing stores? Neither did I, until I visited one this past weekend.
I happened upon the Lane Bryant Outlet in the Anne Arundel Mall here in Maryland, mostly by accident. (Without an official website, Lane Bryant Outlet is depending on the Lane Bryant store mailing lists and traditional avenues of advertising to get out the word. This is a mistake, and might cost them. As Fashion Bug learned, in the modern world, nothing makes a real world storefront less accessible than not having a website. Consumers don't want to have to dig through the bottom links of another site to find out where you're located.)
Anyway, I was chatting with my sister and learned that a new store had opened by her house. She showed me a delicious plus size silk-tiered cami in black and white that she'd picked up there, so we decided to go together. First, of course, we printed out some coupons - no reason to pay full price, even at a plus size clothing outlet!
Making Room for Plus Size Fashion
Upon entering the store, the first thing I noticed was the square footage. Traditionally, Lane Bryant stores are crowded and difficult to navigate. Every time you go to pull one plus size blouse from the tangle, you knock three more off the rack behind you with your purse. This has been the case in every Lane Bryant store I have ever shopped, from upstate New York to Boston to Chicago to Baltimore. I thought it was a given, because plus size clothing takes up more space on the rack, and the store wants to fit as many different options as possible.
Lane Bryant Outlet, however, seemed to work on a different principle: that being able to see the clothing more clearly, having wide aisles and fewer items, would make for a more pleasant shopping experience. As the store becomes more popular and has more plus size clothing to offer, perhaps they'll change their mind about this, but from this shopper's perspective, it was a welcome change.
Size Appeal
The selection of plus size clothing was not what I expected from an outlet store at all. I thought I would find obscure and no-longer-manufactured items and plus size cast offs from the main Lane Bryant line at a discounted price. The sales ladies informed me that their entire selection will be different.
Lane Bryant Outlet stores gets its own line of plus size clothing. And the selection was encouraging. Lovely plus size tank-tops and dressy blouses. A wide selection of plus size sweaters and denim. Plus size dress slacks. I was able to snatch up a glittering cardigan for about 25% less than I would have expected to pay.
Unfortunately for larger women or those who like their clothes on the loose side, the Lane Bryant Outlet showed every sign of being as stingy with extended sizes as their Lane Bryant Store cousin. Denim was not available in the full range of plus sizes, and a number of plus size tops were cut on the small side. The fabric choices also seemed to be on the non-stretchy side.
Every item in the store had a price-tag that gave you a familiar 'OMG this is gorgeous but I can't afford it' feeling, but the price-tags were completely useless. It's the signs that tell you how much you'll pay at the Lane Bryant Outlet - and they plus size clothing itself is deeply discounted, sometimes up to as much as 50% off.
Which begs the question. If Lane Bryant Outlet has its own line of clothing that they intend to sell for very reasonable prices, why are they pretending to mark them up on the price-tag? The deception is irritating, but you're still getting a deal.
Think Lane Bryant plus size fashion on a Fashion Bug Budget.
I was able to buy two extremely well-designed plus size bras for about half what I would pay in a normal Lane Bryant store, and some plus size cotton panties to boot. Plus size essentials are very reasonably priced, and will ensure that I never shop for them at a normal Lane Bryant store again.
Service is a Plus
But the thing that made the Lane Bryant Outlet experience so exceptional was the service. Here I was, at an outlet store. I expected less service than I would receive in a Lane Bryant store, not more. I was pleasantly surprised.
Large, well-lit, and conveniently located dressing rooms awaited my sister and me. There was no need to find a clerk to unlock the door; the cubbies were enclosed by curtains, and a sales representative sat nearby.
The dressing room attendant was deeply interested in our shopping experience, made recommendations, and volunteered to fetch items in different sizes for us when something didn't fit. She even modeled a popular shirt for us, convinced that it would sell better if customers saw the clerks wearing it.
Bottom line? The old Lane Bryant store in the mall down the street is now looking pretty shabby to me. I'll likely drive a half hour out of my way to visit the Lane Bryant Outlet store again. Check it out. It's worth your time.
Published by Stephanie Dray
Stephanie Dray is an author of historical fiction. Her debut novel, LILY OF THE NILE, will hit bookstore shelves in January 2011. She's a storyteller, a game designer, and a cat trainer. In a previous life,... View profile
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- Lane Bryant
- Lane Bryant Outlets don't have their own website yet, but can be accessed through www.lanebryant.com
- Lane Bryant Outlets give you room to move.
- Service was top notch.
15 Comments
Post a Commenti was shopping in the hamilton commons lane bryant store # 4645 i had a wonderful experience with donna and michele they were helpful and very friendly made my shopping a great time and will go back again
I like the Lane Bryant Outlet store in Waterloo Mall. However the coupons are rare even if you are on their mailing list. I also noticed that in the last 2 years, prices have been creeping up and many items are now the same price as in the regular stores. WhenI asked the cashier about this, I was told that most items in the store was on sale for 15-20 % off. Discounts used to be much better
I am so glad I linked to your site, you are a gem to provide so many great tidbits about plus-size fashion and I'm jealous of your witty writing style. Can I borrow that? :) I live in a resort town in the mountains of Oregon and had never heard of an LBO store. But, now that I know, I'll be looking for them. Thanks for a great article. I'll be checking in often for more great advice. Linda
I was visiting Las Vegas from Canada twice this past year and did much better at the outlet as far as finding appropriate clothes and great service than I did at the mall location. I found that the styles at the outlet didn't tend to be as young and trollopy looking. I work in an office and I got several capris and a jacket on my spring visit and pants and a jacket on my fall vist. Very helpful and pleasant staff at the Las Vegas Outlet Centre location. I felt like I got great deals and the clothes have been very versatile and have lasted well.
I had the pleasure of shopping at Lane Bryant the Great Mall in Milpitas, California. Outstanding customer service and great prices.
the LB outlet at Prime Outlets on International in florida.
The store was well lit, plenty of space, clothes beautiifully displayed, sales signs were displayed and the prices were low.
The sales staff: warm and welcoming, didn't rush us, willing to assist, knowledgeable about the garments sold, wore a smile, pleasant voice.
Next year when I come back to Orlando I will definitely go back to the LB outlet at Prime Outlets on International.
I live in NYC. I was told that there is an LBO in riverhead, LI, too!!
My experience was also a pleasant one. My family and I were vacationing in Florida on Monday, 8/18/08. We were shopping in the Prime Outlets in Orlando. We had to make a quick stop by the Prime Outlets on International. Imagine our surprise when we learned that there was a Lane Bryant Outlet at the Prime Outlets on International.
We walked into the LB outlet around 10:31pm-- and they were closing at 11p. The 2 sales ladies were sooooo friendly and accommodating. I tried on about 20 pieces of clothing in 30 minutes or so. One sales lady waited on us, never rushing us. I apologized profusely as I knew we were still trying on clothes and the store had already closed. We left that store about 11:20 p. I was so satisfied with my purchases. I bought a pair of jeans, 2 dresses, two tops and a pair of pants. I spent 188.15 with tax and I saved 84.77. Everything that I bought can be worn all year around.
The store was well lit, plenty of space, clothes beautiifully displayed, sale
My experience was also a pleasant one. My family and I were vacationing in Florida on Monday, 8/18/08. We were shopping in the Prime Outlets in Orlando. We had to make a quick stop by the Prime Outlets on International. Imagine our surprise when we learned that there was a Lane Bryant Outlet at the Prime Outlets on International.
We walked into the LB outlet around 10:31pm-- and they were closing at 11p. The 2 sales ladies were sooooo friendly and accommodating. I tried on about 20 pieces of clothing in 30 minutes or so. One sales lady waited on us, never rushing us. I apologized profusely as I knew we were still trying on clothes and the store had already closed. We left that store about 11:20 p. I was so satisfied with my purchases. I bought a pair of jeans, 2 dresses, two tops and a pair of pants. I spent 188.15 with tax and I saved 84.77. Everything that I bought can be worn all year around.
The store was well lit, plenty of space, clothes beautiifully displayed, sale
I bought a shirt at the LB outlet in Pigeon Forge, TN, last fall, and was surprised to see it in regular stores the following spring! That seems backward to me, but I'm not complaining. :-)
I went to the LB outlet store in Dawsonville, Ga this past Saturday for the first time. I found what I wanted immidiately, (bras), they fit perfectly and were made so well. They were also on sale, hurray! What really surprised me was that the people in front of me in line were very rude to the sales person, she in turn was as sweet as could be. When it was my turn, the sales person was very informative and the rudeness of the customers before me did not bother her a bit. She was a true professional. Iv'e been in retail management for over 30 years and I was very impressed with not only the sales people but the store in general. It was immaculate, even on a Saturday evening. I will definately be back! Great job kudos to the management and staff at the Dawsonville outlet mall store.