Saks Fifth Avenue opened its doors at CF Toronto Eaton Centre and CF Sherway Gardens to eager luxury customers in 2016. Just a short while later, discount shoppers rejoiced with the opening of three Saks OFF 5TH locations at Vaughan Mills, Toronto Premium Outlets and the Outlet Collection at Niagara.
If you’ve never ventured into a Saks Fifth Avenue location, this high-end US department store is synonymous for its designer men’s and women’s fashions and prestigious customer service programs. Saks Off 5TH outlet stores, while not nearly as glamorous as full-priced locations, offer a wide-variety of brand name fashions at deep discounts of up to 70 percent off retail prices!
One brand. Two concepts. What is a shopper to do? Trying to decide whether you should plan a shopping trip to Saks Fifth Avenue or Saks OFF 5TH?
We’ve got a rundown of the differences you can expect to find when shopping at Saks Fifth Avenue versus Saks OFF 5TH.
Store Design & Layout
We would be lying if we said that the atmosphere at Saks Fifth Avenue was anything short of breathtaking. The store’s design is modern, spacious and glamorous. Here, you will not find a single broken mannequin, mismatched shoe or unfolded shirt. The store is perfection, not to mention the lighting fixtures. When in doubt, look up!
On the flip side, the store environment at Saks OFF 5TH is bright, trendy and organized, but not at all intimidating. Departments are clearly labeled with hanging signs and cute neon quotes. Don’t forget to take a peak at the items lining the checkouts. Similar to a Winners store, this is where you’ll find unique trinkets and small gifts.
Customer Service
Need assistance? Saks Fifth Avenue is here to help. There are sales associates at every corner of the store waiting to serve you. We dare you to try picking up an item without having someone dart over to assist you.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, we found that the availability of sales associates at Saks OFF 5TH locations were few and far between. While it’s understandable that not much employee assistance is required on the sales floor, we would expect to find all cashiers on deck to accommodate customers looking to speed through the checkout process.
The Perks
Being a luxury shopper of Saks Fifth Avenue does have its perks. This department store’s laundry list of premium customer services does not fall short. As a Saks Fifth Avenue shopper, expect to benefit from perks such as personal shopping and tailoring services. Visiting the CF Sherway Gardens location? Add some decadence to your shopping trip with luxury dining and the convenience of elevated grocery shopping.
Unfortunately, the shopping experience at Saks OFF 5TH does not hold a candle to the value-add you receive from shopping at the full-price department store. However, what Saks OFF 5TH lacks in perks, they make up for in price savings. You really do get what you pay for.
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Obsessed with scoring designer items at a discount? Saks OFF 5th is a fan favourite when it comes to deals, and unfortunately, a massive location is closing. The Saks OFF 5th in Markham, situated at 5000 Hwy 7, is shuttering its doors for good.
According to BlogTo, the spot will close on April 16.
Although bargain hunters won’t be able to browse discounted Prada and Valentino at the Markham location, Saks OFF 5th still has a handful of stores open around the city.
These include a location in Sherway Gardens, in Etobicoke, in Vaughan, and in Halton Hills.
Plus, the sister store, Saks Fifth Avenue, is still operating its location in downtown Toronto.
A spokesperson for Saks told BlogTo, “After careful consideration, Saks OFF 5TH has decided to close its Markville location. Through the regular course of business we continually evaluate store performance and other factors, and, from time to time, may determine it necessary to close a store.”
Even though it may be sad news, you do have quite a bit of time to shop the racks for deals before the closing date!
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If you’re in the mood to shop, there are plenty of sales to shop
What’s better than a designer shoe? A designer shoe that doesn’t come with a designer price tag, of course. Between flash sales, discount sites, and outlets, it’s easier than ever to score some luxury heels, kicks, or wedges for your closet.
It’s about shopping smart, not hard.
Here are some of our favourite places to shop discount designer shoes online.
DSW
Instagram/@tessalindsaygarcia
DSW (or Designer Shoe Warehouse) is a no-brainer for scoring mid-level designer shoes for a fraction of their original price. No overly strategic shopping is needed here — you can nab brands like adidas, Steve Madden, Timberland, and Frye all the time on DSW’s site. They even allow you to filter by your preferred brand.
Pro tip: to make sure you’re actually getting a deal, look for “Comp. value” labelled on your shoe of choice. That phrase indicates you’re getting a discount. Otherwise, you’re just paying the full price that you’d pay from the brand itself.
Nordstrom Rack
Instagram/@nordstromrack
Nordstrom gives you two unique ways to save on designer shoes. The first, Nordstrom Rack, works exactly like a regular retail website. Stock that didn’t sell at Nordstrom proper (or was made specifically for the Rack) is listed on the site for purchase. Brands you’ll find here include UGG, Tory Burch, Cole Haan, and more.
Hautelook
Instagram/@herclosetdujour
Nordstrom’s second option is Hautelook, a flash-sale site, meaning you have a very limited time (usually 24-72 hours) to pick from a selection of products before everything is either a) sold out, or b) unlisted from the site. Shopping for designers via Hautelook will require some real patience — sales are hit or miss, and the designer or brand you want may only come up once every few months. You can sign up for their daily newsletters, and you can navigate the site by product to keep up with the different events being hosted. Eventually, you’ll find a gem.
Beyond the Rack
Instagram/@jessiexkuang
Beyond the Rack works the exact same way as Hautelook, with one noticeable difference: it’s Canadian! This flash-sale site has all of the perks of other sites like it, but with a nice break on shipping for Canadians. Just like with Hautelook, patience is key. BTR may not sport as many brands as other sites, but it keeps up pretty well. Plus, they sometimes feature Canadian brands, like Matt & Nat!
Barneys Warehouse
Instagram/@barneyswarehouse
Now we’re into the really, really luxe stuff. Barneys is where you want to be if you want anything designer, and Barneys Warehouse is where you want to be if you want those things without emptying your entire wallet (you can also pick up a new wallet there, if the spirit moves you). The designers it boasts could knock a brand-lover to their knees, with names like Versace, Fendi, and Gucci on its roster. Or, perhaps Tom Ford is more your speed? Whatever your choice, you’re likely to find it at Barneys.
The Outnet
Instagram/@theoutnet
Another hotspot for extremely high-end brands, The Outnet claims designers like Altuzarra, Stuart Weitzman, and Acne. Everything is on sale all the time for up to 75% off. Just be sure to watch the prices, which are listed in American dollars, to ensure you’re really getting the best deal.
Neiman Marcus Last Call
Instagram/@totallyglamblog
Chloé, Dior, Manolo Blahnik, Givenchy… You get the idea. Carrie Bradshaw probably wishes she had access to a site like Last Call, where a pair of her beloved Manolos can be found at 20% off or more. For even deeper discounts, head to the website’s clearance section, where you can find deals for up to 80% off the sale price.
Bluefly
Instagram/@dashofaudreypinchofcarrie
Bluefly does things differently from the rest. While you can shop luxury brands for less, they also have a pre-owned section! Shoes are only available in the regular discount section, but who’s to stop you from browsing some pre-loved bags while you’re there? The shoe section has the likes of Marc Jacobs, Valentino, and Saint Laurent. The only caveat is that shipping to Canada has to be done through MyUS.com.
Saks Off 5th
Instagram/@saksoff5th
If you don’t live near a brick and mortar location of the discount designer retailer, you’ll be happy to hear that you can also shop Saks Off 5th online. Online, you’ll find a larger selection with discounts of up to 70% off. Labels you’ll discover here include Stuart Weitzman, Jimmy Choo, and Badgley Mischka, to name a few.
Featured image: Instagram/@bluefly
Back in the day, returning home with some solid closet additions you couldn’t find anywhere else was reason enough to make a trip south of the border. With the recent arrival of great retail options in Canada, the increase in popularity of online shopping, and the decline of the Canadian dollar, crossing the border to shop is no longer necessary – completely fun, but not necessary.
It wasn’t too long ago that you needed be on American soil to step inside your nearest Saks Fifth Avenue or Nordstrom location. Of course, both luxury department stores made a long awaited and well-publicized arrival in Toronto in 2016, followed by their ever-popular off-price stores, Saks OFF Fifth and Nordstrom Rack (once major draws of a U.S. shopping trip) shortly after.
Instagram/@suemagblue
Now, the U.S. is no longer the only option for designer loving bargain hunters – especially with the arrival of Black Friday in Canada.
Not only is the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) home these coveted (and much appreciated) new affordable retail additions, we’ve also seen the arrival of shiny new outlet malls – something that was always a lure of Buffalo, New York for GTA residents.
A far cry from the once-tired Dixie Outlet Mall or the designer store-lacking Tanger Outlets in Cookstown, Ontario that the Toronto kids grew up with, the GTA’s outlet malls are now filled with all the luxe options your heart and closet desires.
Facebook/Toronto Premium Outlets
The sprawling Toronto Premium Outlets features retailers like Gucci, Prada, Burberry, Jimmy Choo and Rudsak.
Opened in 2013, it very recently underwent a 140,000 square-foot expansion to include 40 more designer outlets. The recent expansion even features Aritzia’s first North American outlet. Located just a 40-minute drive from the downtown core, this mall is definitely worth the trip to Halton (trust me).
Further removing the need for a trip across the border, American stores to touch down in Toronto in the past two years include Seattle-based heritage retail brand Filson (694 Queen St. W), Burton Snowboards (98 Ossington), and UNTUCKit (Sherway Gardens), the later of which features Wayne Gretzky as a brand ambassador.
Courtesy of Filson
The seemingly perpetual revamp of Yorkdale Shopping Centre has also made it easier for Toronto residents to get their hands on things like Van Cleef & Arpels jewellery, with the arrival of its first Canadian boutique in summer 2017. On the furniture front, the beloved Restoration Hardware opened the first Canadian super-sized flagship concept store in Yorkdale Shopping Centre in fall 2017. The first Canadian freestanding Dyson store – the fourth in North America – now also occupies real estate in the upscale mall.
Some of the world’s largest retail brands are even choosing our home and native land as the first North American standalone locations, bypassing our friends south of the border all together.
For example, in 2017, UK-based fashion brand Hunter – makers of the popular go-to rain boot – chose Toronto as the home of its first North American location, making it only one of three globally.
On a temporary basis, the rise of the popularity of the pop-up in Toronto has also reduced the need to cross the border to find unique items. For example, iconic U.S. toy brand – and a longtime holiday staple – FAO Schwartz has popped up in Hudson’s Bay stores for the season, removing the need for a pre-Christmas trip to New York City.
Instagram/@anthonytoronto
Of course, we can’t forget that the mass popularity of online shopping makes a shopping trip to the U.S. increasingly less worth the effort, even when shipping costs are included in the equation.
With a physical trip, there’s the added cost of gas or transportation and accommodation if you plan to stay the night – and if a major shopping spree is what you’re in the market for, you will probably want to stay as long as possible to (legally) increase your duty-free limits – you’ll have to add the hotel or Airbnb stay to the tab, too. You are not entitled to a duty-free allowance on trips less than 24 hours. For longer than 24 hours, your duty-free allowance is $200, a figure that increases to $800 per person for trips longer than 24 hours.
Instagram/@polina_kennedy
Finally, we need to consider the state of the dollar, which is always a little depressing as of late when it comes to converting Canadian cash into U.S. dollars.
Admittedly, even with the currency conversion, you can still sometimes find better discounts in the U.S. – if you’re willing to put in the effort.
So, is cross-border shopping still worth it for you? Well, if you have a soft spot for Target (the retail giant failed miserably in Canada, as you’ll recall), then maybe. Otherwise, keep your dollars for local finds.
Featured image: Instagram/@nikahv5
Got big plans for summer? Chances are you’re going to need a little extra pocket change to live the season to its fullest. If you’re currently looking for a new work situation, you’ll be happy to hear that there are a bunch of retailers hiring full-time and part-time positions, and they are all getting together to search for potential candidates.
On Wednesday, May 17th, North Shore WorkBC is hosting a Spring Job Fair with a bevy of positions available. Of those hiring, you’ll find a number of retail employers such as Homesense, Saks OFF 5th, Hudson’s Bay and London Drugs to name a few. However, there are also companies like ALS, Sun Life Financial, Harbour Cruises and Para Space hiring for those on the hunt for other opportunities.
So get dressed in your best professional attire and refresh that resume. The Spring Job Fair takes place at North Shore WorkBC (980 W 1st St. Unit 106, North Vancouver) and runs from 1-4pm.
Learn more about the job fair in Vancouver here.
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