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At the Michael Kors outlet in Carlsbad， the sales crew gladly showed customers the differences between their special outlet line of handbags and their regular designer bags， relegated to the outlet as overstock. A slightly different lining and sometimes different hardware are the only things distinguishing a $349 bag from a $498 bag， both bearing the coveted Michael Kors label. The discounts didnt end there. Most bags in the store were 40 percent off the ticket price， and if you spend $200 (its hard not to at this store) and have a AAA membership， you get an additional 20 percent off.

Photo by Charlie Neuman

Photo by Charlie Neuman

Find out the outlets policies before you swipe your credit card. However， even if the outlets refund policy is amiable， returning merchandise to an outlet mall store may not be convenient.

People dont return merchandise as often to outlets because its a longer trip for them， said Lois Olson， a marketing professor at San Diego State University. If you buy something at an outlet， youre more likely to keep it. So， make sure you really like it.

4211 Camino de la Plaza， San Diego; (619) 934-8400;

premiumoutlets.com/lasamericas

Look for holiday promotions. Some stores offer gifts with purchase， specially priced purchase-with-purchase offers and other enticements to spur holiday shopping. Ask if the store is offering anything special.

Christmas shopper Sarah Clayton hunts for bargains at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets.

Some outlets like the Gap and Izod only carry items made specifically for those stores. Other outlets， like Dooney & Bourke， sell merchandise left over from retail stores. Many other outlets sell a mix. Most outlet stores dont advertise the origin of their merchandise， so if you want to know， ask the sales staff.

Know return/purchasing policies. Outlets rules vary. At some places， like Dooney & Bourke， all sale purchases are final. Non-sale items can be returned for exchange within 30 days. Some other outlet stores are more lenient. At Coach， for example， Hunting for bargains in San Diegos outlet malls?dooney and bthere is no time limit on refunds or exchanges as long as you have the receipt. To avoid resale schemes， certain outlets， like the Cosmetics Company Store in Carlsbad， limit your purchase to just three of any item in one day.

premiumoutlets.com/carlsbad

Hunting for bargains in San Diegos outlet malls?dooney and b，Outlet shopping tips

At an outlet store， thats really the only way to know if youre getting a deal.

Know the limits of outlet shopping. You have to be a treasure hunter at an outlet mall. When stuff ends up in an outlet， there may not be a full set of things like glasses， or something may not be in the size or color you want， Rohlena said， adding that outlet shoppers need to be open-minded and should not shop with one thing in mind to buy.

Viejas Outlet Center

Las Americas Premium Outlets

Christmas shoppers Rowena and Medel Magtoto of Oceanside make their way though the Carlsbad Premium Outlets mall， where many stores are offering drastic discounts.

Join the club. Many outlets stores， including Jockey， Maidenform and Bass， have frequent-shopper rewards programs. They offer additional savings， such as coupons after you spend a certain amount of money in the store， bonus savings on your birthday and more.

Just because its not exactly the same as in the (retail) stores doesnt mean its a cheap knockoff. Sometimes its just different. But it does make it more difficult to determine how good of a deal youre getting， Rohlena said.

At outlets， its not always the same merchandise that you find at (department or designer) stores so you really cant compare apples to apples any more， said Lois Olson， a marketing professor at San Diego State University. At outlets， sometimes its a good deal and sometimes its just a different deal.

90 stores， located about 35 miles north of downtown San Diego.

5620 Pa搜索引擎优化 del Norte， Carlsbad; (760) 804-9000;

Carlsbad Premium Outlets

Ask yourself， Do I like this shirt for $30? Not， Do I like this shirt that used to be $100 and is now $30? Determine if the shirt is worth the price being offered to you， said Heather Honea， an associate professor of marketing at San Diego State University.

Go to the source. If you want the scoop on the best outlet deals， chat up the sales clerk. She can tell you when the new shipments are coming in， what merchandise is outlet-only， and where the best stuff is， Rohlena said.

Customer Linda Berman of Encinitas lovingly stroked one of the made-for-outlet bags and shook her head in amazement.

Know the lingo. Items marked irregular means a small (often not noticeable) imperfection exists. Seconds should signal you that the item has some major flaw. Inspect everything carefully. Samples are items that have been on display， used to presell the product line or test new colors and fabrics. They often dont match the rest of the line and are offered in limited sizes and cuts. Anything marked discontinued means the manufacturer no longer plans to produce it.

These suggestions can save you time， frustration and money.

Check the Web. Outlet mall websites often offer downloadable maps. Youll also find information on special promotions and in-store sales. Some mall websites offer printable coupons， others honor membership cards such as AARP or AAA and many have discounts for seniors. Check individual store websites and Facebook accounts. Type in the word outlet and you may get extra savings in vouchers and coupons.

Much of the outlet-only merchandise is made in the same factories that make the retail store items but often with slight design variations and sometimes using less-expensive materials， allowing the outlet to sell at lower prices. When you calculate in the sales and promotions now offered at most outlets， you end up with some very attractive prices.

Christmas shopper Sarah Clayton was buying presents for her family at the Carlsbad Outlet Mall.

Some of the exclusively outlet merchandise deals found recently at the Carlsbad Premium Outlet Mall included cushy-soft leather bags at Coach for $149 (manufacturers suggested retail price: $398)， plus an additional 20 percent off. The Guess outlet featured $29 faux fur-lined hoodies， a $75 value， according to the tag. And， after multiple discounts， the Izod outlet sold $44 golf shirts for just $12 and change.

Have a shopping plan. Familiarize yourself with the mall before you go. Know which stores you definitely want to visit and get to those first when your energy is high. Outlet malls can be mobbed on weekends so try to schedule shopping for weekday mornings， if possible.

Berman has the right attitude， say shopping experts. Instead of focusing on the reference price and thinking about how much youre saving at the outlet， concentrate on what the item is worth to you.

Shoppers at the Carlsbad Premium Outlets browse among its 90 stores， which are open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23.

Thinking of taking a trip to the outlet stores for some holiday bargain hunting? Be sure to take along plenty of time， patience and consumer-savvy. Although finding discounts at outlets is easy， determining if theyre really good deals is not as simple.

Owned and operated by manufacturers， outlets have traditionally been the place to get rid of merchandise that didnt sell well at the department stores or boutiques. Last seasons styles， overstock， discontinued items and irregular goods were offered at rock-bottom prices in a no-frills setting. However， as outlets became more upscale， more of them also began carrying thdooney and bourke handbagseir own special line of merchandise manufactured exclusively for them.

Do your homework. Do some research. If you have a sense what something is selling for in retail stores， then you can recognize what a good deal is， said Jody Rohlena， senior editor at ShopSmart magazine， a Consumer Reports publication.

It can be easy to get into a shopping frenzy at an outlet mall when everything seems to be discounted. But just because something shows a discounted price doesnt always mean its the best deal， said Jody Rohlena， senior editor at ShopSmart magazine， a Consumer Reports publication. These days you can sometimes find better deals in department store sales or online because everyone is offering a promotion. To get a really good deal at an outlet you have to understand what theyre selling and know what to look for.

The three major outlet malls in San Diego County are all within 35 miles of downtown San Diego.

viejasoutletcenter.com 50 stores， located about 35 miles east of downtown San Diego.

Who cares about the lining? Who cares if its not the same thing they sell at Nordstrom? she said. Its a beautiful bag， and its a good deal. Thats all that matters to me.

Charlie Neuman

125 stores， located 22 miles south of downtown San Diego and the last stop before Mexico.

5005 Willows Road， Alpine; (619) 659-2070;

Occasionally when a company manufactures a special outlet line， it gives it a different name. Brooks Brothers 346 line is made exclusively for outlets. So is Chicos outlets-only brand called Additions.

Photo by Charlie Neuman

Try on everything. Outlet-only lines often have different cuts， fits and fabrics than a stores primary line. Even if you think you know the brand， try it on to be sure.