Outlet store

As a factory outlet, factory outlet stores, factory outlets, outlet store or factory outlet is referred to in the classic sense, a point of sale, sale in the manufacturer of its own products directly to the most reduced prices to the end user. There are also other outlet concepts.

Direct

The operators can market their products under the usual price level, as at least one middleman is eliminated and the transport routes are often considerably shorter, especially if the sale takes place at the production site itself. The product offered is usually branded products, some with manufacturing defects to Vorsaison-/Überschussware or discontinued models or previously not sold in the ordinary commodity. Manufacturers, for example, operate the on-site boutiques with full-price merchandise, transfer their unsold goods like in the factory outlet to avoid cannibalization between old, reduced price and new, full -priced merchandise in the boutique. Factory Stores are not necessarily located in the immediate vicinity of the factory. The average size of outlets from 100 to 300 m².

Factory Outlets

If several factory shops together and offer their wares to a joint sales site that is managed by an operator, then one speaks of a factory outlet center and factory outlet center ( FOC). This concept originated in the United States and spilled from the 1980s to Europe and from the early 1990s to Germany across. You can choose between outlet shops - mostly renowned brands - within a large, enclosed building ( in English: indoor outlet mall ) and outdoors, positioned side by side stores ( outdoor outlet mall), such as the Wertheim Village are distinguished.

Europe 's largest operator of outlet malls is the UK McArthurGlen Group (eg Berlin Designer Outlet ) with 21 FOCs in eight countries. The Spanish Neinver group (eg Zweibrücken The Style Outlets ) with 14 FOCs the second largest outlet operators within Europe ( ICSC ranking 2010). In April 2012, the Group opened its newest outlet center in the Alsatian Roppenheim. Other operators are the British so-called Value Retail with nine Chic Outlet Shopping FOCs (eg Ingolstadt Village ) in seven countries and the British Freeport Leisure (eg, Outlet Center Kleinhaugsdorf ) with four FOCs in four countries.

Off-price retailers

Besides the mostly operated directly from the respective manufacturer factory outlets, there is the concept of operated by a so-called resellers outlet stores with price reduced items ("off - price" ) of various brand manufacturers within a store. Resellers get their goods mostly by the manufacturer (eg, surplus stock or specially produced for the reseller goods), from the retail ( for example, despite discounts unsold goods), or other intermediaries. The British subsidiary T.K. Maxx the American TJX Companies operates in four European countries as a so-called off-price chain store around 300 TK Maxx stores, including more than 40 in Germany. A similar concept in the low price segment pursue so-called special markets, such as the Tengelmann group from the late 1980s in Germany that no longer exist with the Rudis Resterampe.

On the Internet, the principle of off-price resale exists in the form of closed shopping communities where lights at the most reduced prices and possibly gone from remnants seasons will be offered a closed circle of members within a limited time frame online since about the early 2000s. Depending on the organization of the offer the community owner sends the collected orders only after the sales campaign to the manufacturer or wholesaler of the article, so that usually results in a certain waiting time for the customer to the final dispatch of goods. The French vente- privee.com was a pioneer here.

Other outlet types

In Metzingen, the seat of Hugo Boss, who first settled the factory outlets of various companies without a central administration over the years, after the company Hugo Boss began in the 1970s with it, so that 's not to by a single factory outlet Center, but rather could speak of an entire outlet center.

Since the terms are positive connotations, they are often abused by other forms of distribution. More and more shops with the name " Outlet " can be found behind them but there just not connected factory plugged. In such company ( eg in the Danish camp bed GmbH & Co. KG), one also speaks of a factory sales strategy.

Judgments

The Federal Court found in its judgment of 24 September 2013 that the names " Outlet " and " Factory Outlet " are to be understood in terms of a factory outlet and that there originating from the production of the supplier of goods can be expected that with the elimination of the large - and middlemen are offered outstanding value.

In recent years, a trend there can be observed that the term Outlet is often mentioned in connection with transactions that are no longer operated by the manufacturer but by third parties. To facilitate the buyers whether an outlet is powered directly from the manufacturer, an independent award has been introduced.