WICKERMOSS: REVIEW: TOPS! The Off-Price Store.part one.

This RED Corset is LOVE!! :)

"Less is more - Spend less on imported branded clothing and get a whole lot more!"

That being said is, TOPS official shopping statement, I myself was not aware that TOPS actually stands for The Off-Price Store.

That day ~~finally~~ came for me to check out a few of their branches. I heard somehow that it was similar to the SURPLUS shop but when I reached the place, they were actually different from each other, IMHO.

The only similarity I see is that they both have evolved from trading stocklot (overstock, production overruns, and the like). Inspired by the outlet store concepts in the US and Europe, such as TJ Maxx, Ross, Marshalls, etc., the off-price retail concept was reconfigured for the Philippine market and packaged into smaller and much more convenient store locations. Thus, was born TOPS, aka The Off-price Store.

So what do they mean by "Less is more"? Ms. Claire Javate, store manager for an outlet of this franchise business, says spending less is good only if the product being purchased has quality.“With the desire to look good for less, people tend to compromise the quality of the product,” Claire says, adding that though the products they sell are imported, they are all priced to respond to the budget of consumers looking for style and high quality.

The items on display are all sourced directly from manufacturers abroad and are sold for half their original price tags.Authentic brands that are “in” nowadays and are commonly sold at malls are priced “realistically” in the store, she says.

“Especially for the brand-conscious consumers, they don’t have to spend unrealistic amounts of money for a particular branded item. It gets so impractical & unnecessary,” Claire says.

She says the store is also a practical option for balikbayans who wish to cut the costs of shipping for their pasalubong items.

Here is an overview of the store before I share with you the challenge that was given to me:) The pay-off for this challenge was quite hard to resist, so I went down to my first stop, the Congressional branch.

They sell factory overruns from brands like Aeropostale, Playboy Eyewears, Morgan, Adidas, Arrow, Chaps, Ralph Lauren, Marlboro Classics, Converse, Puma, Zoo York, FCUK, Playboy, Fubu, Ed Hardy, Roxy, Nautica, Nike, Oakley, Nine West, Perry Ellis, Polo, Seven for All Mankind, Springfield, TopShop, Mexx, Miley Cyrus, Zara, Gap, Espirit, Terranova and many more.