"Well, I've got a brand-new pair of roller skates
You've got…read morea brand-new key
I think that we should get together
And try them on to see"
(Melanie)
It's NOT a thrift store, because everything here is brand new.
So, if the thought of paying pennies on the dollar for BRAND NEW clothing gives you a buzz, well consider checking out Off Price Outlets in Wallingford.
It's not a "store" in the normal sense -- it's a weekend only warehouse sale. They have no dressing rooms (you've been warned), but returns are allowed, which helps.
The warehouse is big -- 7,000+ square feet of shoes, clothes, wallets, even jewelry, and whatever else they restock every weekend. Women's clothing dominates (I'd peg it around 75-80%), but there's enough men's stuff to make it worth wandering through.
Sizes run up to 3XL for men and plus sizes for women. I did notice very few M and L men's sizes, but saw plenty of XLs and XSs. I definitely would have bought a sweet Hawaiian shirt, but alas I'm not an XS.
We saw quite a few high-end brands on the racks, like Vineyard Vines, Athletica, Cutter & Buck, and J Crew.
Shoes are everywhere -- sneakers, boots, dress shoes, open toe, closed toe, and a few pairs that look like they'd be perfect for a side gig on a stage circumnavigating a pole.
Prices are rock bottom - open toe shoes $15, closed toe/dress/boots $20, sneakers $25. Tops start at $5, pants/shorts/swim/dresses/men's polos from $10, denim from $15.
Their whole model is simple: they buy directly from the brands, skip the middleman, and open the warehouse only on weekends.
The warehouse was quite crowded when we arrived. The line to check out wrapped around parts of three walls of the big space. But the line did move reasonably fast, and the crowd had definitely thinned out a bit after the morning madness.
So, did we buy anything? Of course we did. We walked out with a brand-new pair of men's shorts, a pair of yoga pants, 2 men's shirts, a lady's top, and a cute pajama set for around $74.
So, check it out and Happy Hunting.
PRO TIP
Definitely check out the website to see when the next sales event is scheduled