So theOutnet.com is now live. Natalie Massenet's bargain bin has been opened. Imagine all the odd bits and bobs sitting scrambled in a grotty warehouse somewhere in Kent, waiting for someone to love them, clouds of fashion death hanging over their heads. Or heels. How many times have they been back-and-forth from the hugely successful and revolutionary NET-A-PORTER, to homes that decided they weren't quite right, how many miles have these objects done? Will they be somehow reconditioned, will the customer be able to tell it's old stock, scuffed and tried a thousand times?
Still, it's tapping into my wants. I've already started chugging through the designers, some not yet 'live', no doubt sitting under a few inches of dust in some dark corner. Is this really what we need right now, an extra reason to part with cash? Remember that shirt you nearly bought 3 seasons ago, but didn't, well here it is now, want it as a plaster for something that's missing? Want. Powerful thing. I am always wanting something. As long as there are things,I will want. Especially cut price.
If the world worked smoothly, there wouldn't be such excess. Things would sell out first time, even before it's time, the way APC tends to. Annoying, an empty bin, but a clean sweep feels satisfying for all concerned. The lucky owners feel rewarded and part of something, valuing their purchases for keeping the machine going. The missers-out (i.e. me) feel sad they gambled. The companies feel satisfied they know their market, and the books are balanced. A rather good-looking economy for all concerned.
theOutnet.com is apparently 'chic-onomics!(TM)'. Is it really? For who? As well as the standard low prices, they are employing cruel devices with 'Flash Sales'. There's a trendy 72 hour Pop-up Sale with 80% off, and Going, Going, Gone with a price countdown equivalent to a heavy tussle on the shop floor, as an assistant makes mark-downs before your eyes. You can almost here shouts of 'MINE!'coming from across London. For some reason it feels like a London gimmick, the Outnet. A remedy for over-stimulation and easy access. Too much money, not enough taste? Reward it here! The ensuing frenzy makes me feel sick, but I can't say I won't be checking in from time to time. Especially when the APC alerts start popping through my inbox.
1 comment:
I read about outnet in the Times supplement this week. Maybe I didn't read the snippet very carefully but I didn't realise it was new; I assumed it had been going for ages and I was just a luddite momentarily tagging along behind some bandwaggon, like catching the tail end of a carnival procession. Can't say I've been tempted to run and catch up with it - not only am I lazy, but figure if I don't know what's there I won't want.
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