A Shoptimist success story
One of my favorite purchases: $188 blazer for $25
Not only did I survive the madness that is a J.Crew warehouse sale, I came out a winner. I walked away with 13 items valued at $1,033 — but don’t worry! I got it all for less than $150.
Here’s what I was able to find.
Accessories:
*Jeweled elastic flower belt: Retail price, $50
* Refined silk-cashmere wrap : Retail price, $75
*Polka-dot Infinity scarf: Now unavailable, but all scarves online are priced at or above $48.
*Printed wool wrap (similar to this style): $59
Retail Total: $232
Warehouse Price: $5 each
Tops:
*Three-quarter sleeve stretch perfect shirt (in pink, white and purple): $58 each
*Three-quarter sleeve, striped top (no photo available): $42.50
*Long sleeve, ruffle neck knit top (no photo available): $32.50
Retail Total: $249
Warehouse Price: $8 each
Sweaters:
* Forever cardigan in melon: $69.50
Retail Total: $69.50
Warehouse Price: $15
Bottoms:
*Seersucker mini skirt (similar to the one pictured): $54.50
Retail Total: $54.50
Warehouse Price: $15
Jackets:
*Schoolboy blazer in navy: $188
*Two-button suit jacket in black (similar to one pictured): $240
Retail Total: $428
Warehouse Price: $25 each
Now, to save you the math, that means I only spent $147! Yes, that’s more than I’d spend on the average shopping trip, but I was able to stock up on basic items I can wear to work and on the weekend.
What did I learn after my experience?
*If at all possible, leave the kids at home! Space is tight inside so navigating a stroller is hard on you and the people around you. Plus, you’ll likely be waiting outside for quite a while.
*Grab anything you like and check for fit/quality later. It clogs things up and takes more time to inspect each piece as you go along.
*Dig to the bottom of a box. Most jewelry, hair accessories and belts were hiding below heavy clothing items.
*Stock up on gifts! Scarves, belts, headbands and jewelry are all great gifts that can be bought in advance. At $5 a piece for most of these products, it’s a good time to stock up for birthdays, Christmas, etc.
*You can’t see it all. After a couple hours, cut yourself off. There’s absolutely no way you can look through every box and find every possible purchase. Boxes are constantly being replenished and most are over stuffed to begin with. Though it may feel like you’re missing out, you’ll never get through it all. Be happy with what you’ve found and walk away happy!
And I’ve got to brag on J.Crew’s customer service a little bit. One of the blazers I bought was missing a button, so I emailed customer service to see if there was any way I could get a replacement. Within a couple hours someone had gotten back to me and offered to send me the replacement for free. Plus, everyone working the sale was great; they were all very patient with the very impatient shoppers stuck waiting in line.
Did you check out the sale? Tell me about your finds!
April 11, 2011 - 7:00 AM
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For $142 I got over $700 worth of goodies(including an absolutely perfect chartreuse winter coat)!Another tip: Don’t go alone! Two hours waiting to get in the door is much better when you have a buddy. It’s also nice because you can get out of line to use the bathroom, run back to the car, etc. while the other person holds your place!
Can you get on a list to be notified of their sales???
This sounds like a shopping trip worth planning for.
J. Crew is a little bit sneaky. To be notified about the sales, you have to call the clearance store in Lynchburg and ask to be added to the warehouse sale’s email list. The number is (434) 385-6700. From the options, select to speak to someone in the clearance store.
last time I was there they had an e-mail sign-up list at the register.
Was it in the warehouse or the clearance store, Becky? I was surprised that you had to request to be on a particular list. I’ve been on J.Crew’s regular email list for a while, but never received anything about the warehouse sales. Turns out they only send the info to people who request it!
I spent $116 and got over $900 worth of clothes! I got 2 pairs of adorable jeans, (one which still had the price tag of $178!!), an Alpaca sweater (price tag of $118), a pair of Khaki pants, flip flops, some sexy heels, an embroidered polo, an adorable shirt that has a Fall of 2011 label and a couple other things. We waited in line for about an hour and spent almost 2 hours inside. It was well worth the time!
Is the store at Millrace the one where the warehouse sales are at? And is there a difference between sample sale vs warehouse sale? ie. is one better/cheaper than the other?
J.Crew sample sales and warehouse sales are the same thing. You’ll find the address, hours and phone number of the Lynchburg location here: http://blogs.roanoke.com/shoptimist/2011/04/regional-warehouse-sales-worth-exploring/