Outlet stores should promote the fact they offer a greater variety within brands than found at department stores. Outlet center managers may want to consider lease agreements with tenants to offer customer a minimum of 30 percent off full retail. Mystery shoppers could be employed to ensure that these savings do exist. Outlet center managers may want to consider limiting tenants to outlet or discount stores. Full price retailers in outlets can lead to customer confusion.
Exaggerated claims can lead to customer mistrust.
Without these labels, manufacturers are giving customers the impression the products are exactly the same as similar ones found in full-price retail stores since they appear identical. Outlet centers and regional malls are competing for the same customers. Steadily narrowing price gaps between outlet centers and traditional malls is just one of the challenges faced by outlet centers. Explosive growth in the number of outlets has caused market saturation in some areas. As outlets get closer to the traditional look and feel of full-price retail stores, there may be less reason to shop there.