Forbes.com 04.18.07
Discount shopping doesn't have to be limited to the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas.
That's because sample, showroom and warehouse sales routinely offer sales of up to 80% off on clothes by such designers as Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton and Manolo Blahnik.
"Retailers need to move their merchandise from past seasons, and [hosting] a large event like a warehouse or sample sale is the last-ditch effort for them to make a profit off of their overstock," says Denise Williamson, owner of the Williamson Showroom in New York City, where designers such as Trovata and Development participate in a two-day biannual sample sale. "The consumer loves it, for the most part. If you had your eye on something all season and it's discounted heavily now, why wouldn't you want to get it?"