Why is macys so cheap

Macy's runs this," was the general answer. What are these brands? Macy's runs this, was the general answer. Times Internet Limited.

All rights reserved. For reprint rights. Times Syndication Service. Feb 15, , IST. On our way there, we saw a big Macy's two blocks away from the off-price store. Like other Backstage locations, this store occupies a huge amount of space. From the outside, it looked organized, clean, and fully stocked. There are some other off-price retailers, like DSW, in the same building. Once we stepped inside, we were greeted by an enormous women's clothing section that occupied almost half of the store.

We decided to start by browsing through the racks of single pieces, as that's where we usually find amazing steals from big-name and designer brands at other off-price retailers like Nordstrom Rack.

But we soon realized that the game was different here. It was a bit confusing that so many prices were listed on the tag. Though the brands offered were not necessarily recognizable ones, customers generally seemed to trust the quality because of the Macy's name.

Rarely did we spot any big name brands, let alone designer ones. This Calvin Klein t-shirt was one of only two well-known brand items on this rack. In general, the lesser-known brands came with a much steeper discount than recognizable ones. But there was one exception: Calvin Klein. This Backstage store carried a lot of Calvin Klein items and offered huge discounts on them.

We saw that the vast majority of single pieces were large and extra-large. We only found one extra-small option on the single piece racks. A great deal of styles in the women's section have more than one piece and size available. Backstage put out signs stating a section's price range, brands, and themes For example, we saw some short-sleeve tops on the "sweater weather" racks.

On the Catherine Malandrino racks, we didn't find a single product from the brand. And not every piece in the " The store also had a small activewear section for women, where we found items from popular brands like Reebok, Puma, and Champion. But, again, the sizes available here were mostly large and above. The marked price range for regular items was actually similar to that for clearance. It seemed that Backstage didn't put these signs out to split up the products, but to tell shoppers, "Hey, everything is affordable!

There were three clearance areas for women's apparel: a large plus-size section, plus two smaller ones for regular-size items. But besides the clearance areas, reduced-price items with yellow tags could be spotted everywhere in the store.

Next to the women's clothing section was a smaller but crowded beauty and accessories division. With its vast amount of inventory in multiple categories, trying to convince a shopper to buy a specific brand is not the goal, like it would be for local retailers that are often limited by the brands that they carry. Amazon offers shoppers an opportunity to branch out beyond what is available at their local stores. Although showrooming can be a major source of frustration for brick-and-mortar operations, it has forced many local stores to improve their services.

Walmart now has features on its mobile app that allows shoppers in the stores to scan barcodes, read customer reviews and find out about the latest discounts that might lower a product's price. The app does not show competitors' prices, which still makes it a step down from what can be accomplished when shopping online. Online shopping and saving have come a long way over the years.

Today's technology has made it so that all shoppers need to do is shop and the coupon savings are deducted automatically at the checkout screen. The plug-ins run in the background and are not even noticeable until there is a coupon available. With browser plug-ins that bring coupons to the shopper, missing out on extra savings is almost impossible.

Shopping online is relatively safe, but there are things you can do to add extra protection. These include knowing the warning signs for online scams, keeping your computer and mobile operating systems up to date, only shopping on encrypted websites, and not reusing passwords across multiple sites. It's also wise to avoid sharing credit card or other sensitive information over public Wi-Fi networks.

Online retail shopping has steadily risen in recent years. By the second quarter of , online retail represented Census Bureau. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Use precise geolocation data. Select personalised content.

Create a personalised content profile. Measure ad performance. Select basic ads. Create a personalised ads profile. Select personalised ads. Apply market research to generate audience insights.

Measure content performance. Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. The Balance Budgeting. Table of Contents Expand. Table of Contents. Why Are Online Stores Cheaper? Advantages of Online Shopping. Using Online Promotional Calendars.

What Is Showrooming? Browser Plug-Ins and Savings. We believe everyone should feel confident when making money decisions, and that passion drives us to make The Balance the best place to learn about finances. Learn about our editorial policies. Updated November 09, Fact checked by Kyra Baker. Article Fact Checked June 28, Reviewed by Robert C. Article Reviewed October 21, Learn about our Financial Review Board.

Note Websites that compare prices, such as PriceGrabber , enable shoppers to shop smarter. Note Some customers walk around the store with their smartphones, then ask the sales associates if the store is willing to match prices. How do you stay safe when shopping online?