Beyond its malls, Lake County is home to some great outlet stores that offer products not found in regular stores and in most cases at discount prices.
For the most part, the outlets are next to the factory or have reasonable proximity to the products’ point of origin. Some may be family-owned businesses, such as Brans Nut Co. in Wauconda or Long Grove Confectionery in Buffalo Grove, while others are operated by conglomerates such as Sara Lee Corp. or Campbell’s Soup Co.
Some of the best-known outlets feature grocery items.
Sara Lee had operated an outlet store at its factory in Deerfield until the company closed the plant in June 1994. But because of its huge customer base, Sara Lee maintained an outlet store in the area, opening one in nearby Brookside Plaza, 453 Waukegan Rd., Northbrook (708-509-2722), about two miles from the old bakery. And while it’s not at the factory, store manager Mike Loeffl said it hasn’t dampened customer spirits or enthusiasm for shopping.
As for the store’s attraction, Loeffl said, “I think its more than price. It’s the variety, because we offer a lot of food-service items that are available in larger quantities. There’s also the advantage of finding those unusual items that generally don’t appear on the shelves of neighborhood grocery stores, like rhubarb and strawberry pies. Sometimes the variety catches customers off guard.”
Many of the items are offered because of cosmetic problems with packaging or because they were overstock.
The Northbrook store is one of 50 operated by Sara Lee, most of which, according to Loeffl, are in the Midwest. The Lake County location is at River Tree Court in Vernon Hills (708-362-0490), at the intersection of Illinois Highway 60 and Milwaukee Avenue.
While the Vernon Hills store is smaller, manager Eleanor Sorensen said it’s a popular outlet. “Most of our business, probably 80 percent, is repeat business,” Sorensen said.
And while most people may associate Sara Lee with baked goods, such as pound cakes and croissants, Sorensen said her store takes a page from heavily Italian Highwood. “Our lasagna outsells everything in the store,” she said, a fact that’s echoed by Mary Polley of Antioch, who was delighted to find the lasagna available. “I try to stop whenever I ,” she said. “I like the vegetable lasagna, and it’s great to find it on sale.”
Sara Lee declined to say exactly how much shoppers save when shopping its outlets, but customers seem to think it’s worth the trip. “I’ve found it to be a decent value,” said Susan Schmitt of Glencoe as she shopped at the Northbrook store. Like other shoppers, however, it was finding items not available elsewhere, such as ravioli, that makes shopping at outlets worthwhile for her.
At Pepperidge Farms’ outlet store, 1614 Deerfield Rd., Highland Park (708-831-3040), manager Tom Kooistra said customers can expect savings of 25 percent off retail price. The store offers additional savings based on the product’s freshness date. Discounts can run as high as 50 percent.
The store, which Kooistra said has been at the same location for 15 years, draws a mix of senior citizens and families with young children, something he attributes to the fact that the store is between a Toys R Us and Kids R Us. “We’ll see a lot of fathers with children on Saturday,” he said. In addition to Pepperidge Farm products, the store carries Campbell’s Soup and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee items. Campbell’s owns both Pepperidge Farm and Chef Boy-Ar-Dee.
Kooistra said bread, croutons and chocolate items are popular, but the company’s Goldfish crackers are also a big seller. “The favorite flavor,” he said, “tends to be cheddar.”
For Millie Balwierz of Deerfield, the Pepperidge Farm outlet is a delight. “I like their prices,” she said, “the selection is very good, and they have a good product.” And she should know. Balwierz is a dedicated discount and outlet shopper to the point that “my family teases me. They say if you paid full price, you didn’t get it from Millie.”
The myth that outlet stores are generally small and cramped is shattered with a step into the outlet store at Rentokil Tropical Plant Services, 855 E. Aptakisic Rd., Buffalo Grove (708-634-4108). Rentokil customers can browse nearly 40,000 square feet of greenhouses for plants that may be overstock or recycled, according to store manager Aaron Andrews.
Much of the stock is available to the public because a rental agreement ends or customers want different plants. Others, he added, come back because they are overgrown and need to be cut back. Andrews said savings can be significant.
“We’ve had plants that would sell for $850 as new but are sold for $150 at the outlet store.” The biggest thing some of the recycled plants may need is some TLC at first, but they do adjust. In addition to the indoor plants, the store carries used containers, silk flowers and a variety of annuals. Andrews also has started to carry a small number of orchids as well.
Beyond the items for sale, Andrews said, the store strives to offer first-class customer service.
“I love shopping here,” said Mary Torgerson of Deerfield. “They always have new things, and I love fresh flowers.” Value too can make a difference. Said Torgerson, “To pay regular florist prices would be too extravagant for me.”
Janet Brown of Northbrook has been picking her plants out at Rentokil’s outlet for eight years. “All of my houseplants are from here,” she said. “They’re much less expensive, and if there are any problems with the plant, they discount it even more.”
One of the newest outlet stores on the scene is right around the corner from the Pepperidge Farm store. The Best’s Kosher Outlet Store (708-831-9435), which opened in mid-May, features the products that Chicago-based Best is known for (hot dogs, polish sausage, corned beef) as well as those not generally found in area supermarkets or wholesale clubs.
According to manager Bill Moshe Amster, the firm tries to offer a variety of products in large quantities and in all sizes. The store carries a lot of the company’s mainstay products, Amster said, including veal ribs, fresh briskets and rib steaks, and some items aimed toward institutional use that aren’t usually found in groceries. “We try to offer both discounts and a full line of products.” Customers, according to Amster, can expect to save 30 percent on the firm’s No. 1 products, meaning those found in groceries.
Amster likes to point out that the store is actually three stores in one: a retail outlet; a deli where Best products, including corned beef, pastrami, turkey and roast beef, are available sliced fresh by the pound; and a hot dog stand, where a variety of sandwiches are available.
Best follows strict Jewish dietary laws and those regulating the Sabbath. Because of this, the store closes early on Friday afternoons, depending on sunset, the start of the Jewish Sabbath, and is not open on Saturday and many Jewish holidays. It is, however, open on Sunday.
Taking a turn on the food-outlet tour, maybe you’d like some fresh-roasted nuts. Outlet shoppers can find fresh nuts at Brans Nut Co. of Wauconda, which operates outlet stores in Barrington, Antioch, Mukwonago, Wis., and at the factory, 581 Bonner Rd., Wauconda (708-526-0700).
While savings vary with the type of nut, shoppers can generally see around 25 percent savings by buying items from one of the company’s four stores.
In addition to nuts freshly processed at its Wauconda facility, the Brans outlet stores carry a variety of candy and specialty items for cooking. The main items, of course, are the selections of nuts available in individual packages, assortments or in bulk.
Now in its 15th year at the Wauconda location, the outlet store has developed a following of customers, something that’s especially visible during the summer, according to CEO Bill Collins “A lot of our customers stop by on the way up to the or to Wisconsin,” he explained.
What makes an outlet nut? Unlike many major retail outlets that sell over- or underweight products, Brans simply has nuts that come directly from the factory (which is right next door) and enables the customer to customize an order. Collins said there is no difference in the quality of the nuts sold at the outlet stores to that of nuts sold to mail-order or retail customers.
What else do outlet shoppers do besides eat? They may travel. That is why the Kaehler luggage outlet store in Deerbrook Mall at Waukegan and Lake-Cook Roads (708-498-1888) has been around for more than 12 years. “We’re more of a destination store,” said manager Ted Ballantine. The 2,200-square-foot store, which Ballantine calls big for a luggage store, advertises savings from 20 percent to 60 percent on luggage. As is the case with most outlet stores, merchandise can be overstock or have some defects.
At Kaehler, Ballantine said, the store carries irregulars from leading manufacturers. The savings can be as significant as the flaw. There are a lot of variations in irregulars, Ballantine said. Because prices may reflect the nature of the flaw, customers can spend anywhere from $20 to $500, depending on the piece of luggage and its condition.
Unlike Kaehler’s retail stores, the outlet–the only one operated by Kaehler–carries only a smattering of gift items.
“We’re basically a luggage and business case store,” Ballantine said.
If any outlet store has experienced the sweet smell of success in the truest sense, it’s the Long Grove Confectionery outlet (708-459-0269), which, despite its name, is in Buffalo Grove, at 333 Lexington Dr. For the dedicated chocoholic, it is hard to imagine any chocolate being imperfect, but according to manager Andrea Sperath, a crooked design, improper weight or undeliverable order means it becomes part of the outlet stock.
The quality of the ingredients, however, is the same as the items found in the retail stores. To many customers, the difference is so minute that they will have the outlet store staff handle orders for special events, such as weddings or parties. “We’ll also work with companies that are looking for corporate gift ideas,” Sperath said.
And the savings can be worthwhile. According to Sperath, outlet customers can realize savings of 30 percent to 50 percent.
Ellen Parker of Buffalo Grove has found Long Grove Confectionery’s items so good, she mails them back home to Boston. “They have a nice selection, and the staff is very nice,” she said.
When it comes to chocolate, what better endorsement can there be than word of mouth? Pete Skach of Palatine took a detour on the way home from his job at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights to check out the store because a friend told him it was worth the drive. A chocolate lover, Skach said it was, in fact, worth the drive for both the chocolate and the prices: “You can’t beat outlet store prices.”
And here are more
Some specialty outlets worth noting:
Gander Mountain–A hunting and camping equipment manufacturer, the outlet store carries clothing and equipment. It is on County Highway W in Wilmot, Wis. Considering the high prices of many outfitters, Gander’s outlet store offers some incredible deals, especially on Wednesdays, when the progressive markdown begins. Prices can be 75 percent off the retail price, and sometimes more. 414-862-2344.
Mikasa–This china company has an outlet store at 35 N. Waukegan Rd., Deerfield. In addition to china, it carries a variety of home accessories. 708-940-7885.
Pickard China–An Antioch china manufacturer, Pickard has an outlet store at 782 Corona Ave., Antioch. Providing china to the White House is one of Pickard’s claims to fame. 708-395-3800.
Popcorn Works–Just what the name implies. It’s at 619 E. Park Ave. (Illinois Highway 176), Libertyville. 708-362-4460.
