Stepping into a Dillard's is like stepping into Candyland—but instead of sugar and sweets, there are brightly colored handbags, sophisticated dresses, and beauty counters overflowing with makeup and skincare products. The only thing that stops us from shopping there all the time is the price. (We love a pretty tunic as much as the next person, but the thought of dropping $220 on one makes our heads swirl.) However, Dillard's has a cost-saving secret: its clearance centers. If you shop these specialty stores, you'll find all sorts of incredible deals. Read on to see social media users' best finds and learn how to score heavily discounted designer items.
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What is a Dillard's Clearance Center?
ShutterstockDillard's currently operates 27 Dillard's Clearance Centers around the U.S., mostly in the South and the Midwest (sorry, shoppers in the Northeast). The centers typically take the space of a former Dillard's, and all sales are final. Unlike other discount stores, which often sell surplus goods from other retailers, Dillard's sells its usual merchandise, just cheaper.
"The vast majority of the merchandise comes from full-line Dillard’s stores,” Julie Johnson Guymon, the company’s Director of Investor Relations, told Forbes in 2021. “On very, very rare occasions, we have bought merchandise from other sources, but that is minimal.”
So, that means if you find a designer item at a Dillard's Clearance Center, it was likely once on offer at a regular Dillard's—no defects to be found. That said, be ready to dig.
"It is not a place for the weak—you really have to be ready to search through racks and racks of clothing," says TikTok userAva Meurer.
Social media users have found designer clothes for $8.
ShutterstockIf you have a Dillard's Clearance Center nearby, you can likely find some great discounts. TikTok user @dailydoseofthrift noted that she had never been to one before and was shocked by what she found at the Houston location.
"I'm five seconds in, and I'm already in love," she says. "They have $15 shoes—they had Gianna Bini, Sam Edelman, Steve Madden all $15—and then if that already wasn't good enough, I turned the corner, and they had $8 Free People items that are new with tags."
The shopper continues to circle the store, pointing out $8 Gianna Bini tops (the designer's shirts typically retail for around $60) and jackets (these can cost up to $160). She then stumbles about a several-foot-long rack of white dresses, all for $7.99, although the brand of each dress isn't clear. Meurer even spotted prom dresses and evening wear at the Houston store for $40.
There are also affordable designer accessories.
ShutterstockIt's not just clothes that are on offer. Dillard's Clearance Centers are also stocked with accessories. @dailydoseofthrift found Vera Bradley backpacks for between $20 and $40 (they're usually $125 and up) and kid's Birkenstocks for $25 (usually $60). Meurer found $15 heels and the viral Coach Tabby purses for $139 (they're $395 at Coach).
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But not everything is super cheap.
Shutterstock/Mariia KorneevaIt should be known that Dillard's Clearance Center isn't a one-stop shop for affordable everything.
"Of course, not everything in the store was $8—this feather dress caught my eye, but it was still in the $70 range, but $300 retail, so that's still a good deal," explains @dailydoseofthrift.
Prices will likely vary from store to store, too, and you can't guarantee exactly which merchandise will be available where or for how much money. Our take? It's worth a visit! If you're not near an official clearance center, hit up the sale section of Dillard's website. It's full of lots of similarly discounted pieces.
