The Real Reason Ross Dress For Less Clothing Is So Cheap
Getting your hands on a summer dress you feel like you're going to live in, or that bag you've been lusting over ever since you saw it in Vogue last year will make your day! Especially if you've found this perfect-for-you merchandise at a discount. Enter Ross Dress for Less. Often referred to as just, Ross. The deep-discount clothing store has turned even the most skeptical of bargain hunters into die-hard devotees. And it's Ross' loyal customer base that's kept this retail store swimming and not sinking along with the rest of its competitors (via Insider).
Now that we've set the stage, letting you know there are bargains to be found and loyal customers rooting for Ross, it's time to answer an important question that many of us have pondered for years: How exactly is this company able to sell clothes for so cheap?
First off, we can thank the store's "bare-bones" philosophy for the extra savings on their merchandise.
Ditching the unnecessary is what gives you major savings
Ross Dress for Less doesn't deck their stores out with unnecessary bling or frost. In fact, if you have visited a Ross before, you have probably noticed that it is quite bare and often messy. We're okay with that, and you should be, too. The company's decision to not blow unnecessary money on the store's décor allows the customer to save big on the actual product they are buying (via Insider).
Another reason Ross is able to sell clothing at such a deep discount is because the merchandise that it houses is often due to overstock or seasonal change from the designer. That's right. If a brand has a surplus of their clothes left over, then they will often sell it to discount chains like Ross at a reduced price in order to focus on the next season.
The clothing at Ross may have also been previously displayed at other department stores like Macy's and JCPenney. Oftentimes, these chain retailers will buy merchandise from a designer with a buy-back clause. This means that the designer will have to buy back whatever hasn't been sold over after a certain period of time. The manufacturers don't want the excess merchandise, so they are happy to sell it to deep-discount stores like Ross at a well, deep discount (via Mental Floss).
Check the tag for irregularity
All this changing of hands may be confusing. But what's most important to remember is that it is likely what is saving you a huge chunk of change at your local Ross Dress for Less.
It may also be plausible that you are getting your future favorite summer dress or long-lusted after handbag because it is irregular in some way. Oftentimes the irregularity is not immediately noticeable to the customer. It could be as small as a tag sewed on upside-down or uneven hems. Luckily, you don't have to play the guessing game while standing in the aisle, because if the piece of merchandise is irregular at Ross, it will say so on the tag (via Clark.com).
So there you have it. The many reasons why Ross' clothing is so cheap. We hope that finding out why won't dilute any of the happiness you feel when you find a great bargain. After all, the savings you experience is why this company is here to swim and not sink.