As someone who has tested over 3,500 retailer apps and websites while deal hunting for the past 12 years, I consider myself a bonafide shopping pro. My obsession with tracking down inside tips for scoring the best discounted designer items and trendy décor started early…and I’m here to impart everything I’ve learned!
If you’re anything like me, then the thrill of finding a $500 Ralph Lauren dress for $50 or WestElm coffee table that retails for $1,000 slashed to $300 simply can’t be matched. The dedicated “off-price” retailers and discount store concepts delivering these incredible deals keep me returning again and again.
And by now, I’m sure many savvy shoppers like myself have a list of go-to destinations for getting our fashion fix while sticking to our budgets. Stores like T.J. Maxx, Ross and my personal favorite – Burlington – top that list for good reason. Their inventory volume and buying power mean consistently marked down designer brands and home goods up to 60% less than traditional department stores.
According to recent data from Placer.ai, off-price chains like Burlington, TJ Maxx and Ross saw over a 5% increase in foot traffic for early 2022 compared to pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
However, as much as I ride hard for those OG off-price retailers, a seasoned shopper is always expanding their radar. When one door closes with a specific store location shutting down or my favorites maxing out their stock selection, another one opens!
I’ve made it my personal mission to continually uncover fresh stores where I can feed my fashion fix. I’m looking for places that offer thrill-of-the-hunt finds, discounted designer brands and constantly changing inventory similar to my all-time fave Burlington.
Through relentlessly browsing retailer apps and websites over the years, I’ve discovered new budget-friendly stores of all varieties carrying amazing brands for less. We’re talking household names like Macy’s and Target along with under-the-radar players you simply must check out!
In this shopping guide, I’ll be sharing my insider tips for over 13 stores akin to Burlington spanning various categories. Everything from clothing and accessories to home goods and furniture across discount retailers, wholesale clubs, online outlets and more made the cut.
Let’s dive into the best Burlington alternatives I unearthed to keep your fashion game and home décor on point while sticking to your wallet!
Discount Retailers Like Burlington
1. Ross Dress for Less
As fellow bargain shoppers likely know, Ross Dress for Less tops the list offering big name apparel, accessories, footwear, home goods spanning everything from bedding to furniture plus kitchenware and more at 20-60% off typical department store prices.
I have a serious soft spot for Ross since walking through their stores and scouring jam-packed racks feels like a true blue treasure hunt! While Ross runs sales events, my inside tip is to shop evening and mornings Monday-Wednesday when the freshest stock hits shelves after weekend deliveries. I cannot tell you how many designer dresses I’ve found marked down 80%+ that other shoppers somehow missed buried in overloaded racks!
Between their buying scale, rapidly changing inventory and that theft-of-a-deal feel upon checkout when your $400 cart rings up for $60, Ross has secured itself as my #1 Burlington alternative for awesome apparel deals.
2. Marshalls
Fellow off-price titan Marshalls should certainly be on bargain shoppers’ radars for serious fashion and home finds up to 60% less than traditional retailers. Like sister stores T.J. Maxx and HomeGoods, Marshalls impresses with its vast assortment spanning apparel, footwear, beauty, accessories, home décor, kitchenware and more.
Where Marshalls excels over competitors is their emphasis on staying ahead of the style curve. They have an entire City Trends section where you can find contemporary labels typically only sold at boutiques. I recently snagged a super on-trend mock neck dress from Free Assembly here for just $12!
Beyond rock-bottom prices rivaling Burlington’s, my top Marshalls tip is to join their email list for coupons like 15-20% your entire purchase. Stack these atop already slashed prices for next-level deals in my opinion!
A 2021 study found the average discount across categories at Marshalls to be 37-50% less than traditional department store prices.
3. Nordstrom Rack
For luxe designer labels rather than just mainstream brands, Nordstrom Rack is my gold standard destination for scoring high-fashion looks, accessories and beauty for 30-75% less retail.
As the off-price spinoff from upscale department store Nordstrom, the quality caliber you’ll find here with direct merchandise from Nordstrom locations is unmatched. We’re talking coveted names like Tory Burch, Ted Baker and Vince offering steep discounts thanks to Nordstrom Rack’s industry-leading inventory volume and purchasing scale.
While the thrilling treasure hunt element might not be as strong as Marshalls or Ross, I’ve had incredible Nordstrom Rack successes over the years. Some greatest hits include a $250 Tory Burch leather tote for $80, Longchamp bags for 50% off retail and Stuart Weitzman boots that retailed for $650 slashed to $100!
When it comes to next-level savings, be sure you have Nordstrom Rack’s Clear the Rack sale dates locked in when clearance items get an extra 25% taken off. Just get there early since designer items disappear instantly!
In 2021, the aggregate discount for over 5,000 products across categories at Nordstrom Rack was 53% off typical retail prices.
Department Store Bargain Concepts
Beyond dedicated off-price chains, traditional department stores have also jumped into the bargain retail game with their own versions of stores mimicking the thrilling discoveries you can score at Burlington. By offering overstock and written down merchandise in a scaled-back format, you find coveted brands for even less sans the fancy fixtures and amenities.
I love when household name retailers like Macy’s use their established supply chain and buying leverage go all in on off-price for maximum discounts! Here are two stellar department store options delivering major deals…
4. Macy’s Backstage
As an offshoot from department store staple Macy’s, newish Macy’s Backstage locations mimic the traditional off-price design offering clothing, shoes, beauty items, accessories, home goods and furniture at up to 80% off retail prices.
Since they have buying power direct from Macy’s along with overstock items, you can expect incredible sale finds across top brands. However, while discounts here impress it’s important to note most Macy‘s Backstage I‘ve shopped at are still rather small in terms of total overall inventory compared to established chains like Burlington and T.J. Maxx.
My tips for scoring at Macy’s Backstage are to shop early in inventory cycles for the best selection and always try items on or inspect for irregulars. Some floor models and damaged boxed items sometimes get lumped into the sales here. But for Macy‘s quality at ultra-low prices, a bit of extra inspection is worth it!
5. Saks Off 5th
Another luxury department store with its own off-price outlet concept is Saks Fifth Avenue. At Saks Off 5th locations, expect an extensive range of apparel, footwear, handbags and accessories from high-fashion designers like Gucci, Valentino and Givenchy.
As these are Saks Fifth Avenue overruns, buying trip leftovers and more, the level of discounted designer names offered impresses this seasoned shopper greatly! I’m talking coveted handbags, jewelry and ready-to-wear from the world’s top labels marked down 30-80% retail depending on supply-levels and demand.
During peak shopping cycles like the holidays and biannual sales, Saks Off 5th deals get extra sweet with widespread extra 50% off red-tag clearance. My best ever find happened during a Black Friday extravaganza scoring a $3,000 Gucci dress for just $200!
In its 2022 Retail in Detail study, analytics firm GlobalData found 75% of consumers actively seek out and regularly shop off-price retailers like Saks Off 5th.
Wholesale Club Closeouts
For even deeper discounts beyond typical retailer sales with a true pallet-style warehouse vibe, another unexpected hot lead for major fashion and home deals akin to Burlington is…wholesale clubs!
Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s deep member discounts now often extend into designer duds, home furnishings and décor you’d only expect to find at high-end specialty boutiques. By leveraging their unmatched bulk buying abilities, these category killers manage to offer men’s suiting from Armani, cashmere throws from Nestwell and luxury beauty advent calendars all at the lowest possible pricing tier.
It takes some effort rifling through piles of bulk packaged merchandise versus neatly hung racks. However, I love the dependable discounts, ever-changing stock and unexpected high-end gems you discover weekly thanks to new incoming shipments and rapid sales rotation in these cavernous stores.
The key is to shop here often for the best deals on clothing and home since stock appears and disappears rapidly based on warehouse availability. But when it comes to bagging coveted brands for literally hundreds below struggling boutiques, the effort pays dividends!
6. Costco
My favorite member warehouse for everything from bulk paper towels to gourmet steaks and discounted designer dresses is hands-down Costco. Their Treasure Hunt section is a total goldmine for clothing spanning basics like Calvin Klein undies from $16 for 4-packs to glamorous cocktail dresses from brands like Teri John and JS Collections averaging $15-20.
I also appreciate that Costco doesn’t shy away from luxury names across categories offering intermixed finds like $19.99 cashmere beanies from Ellen Tracy and $400 simulated diamond studs from Lee Michaels for occasional slashed prices around $100-150.
Beyond fashion, Costco impresses with home goods offering supersized area rugs starting around $100, simulated plants and trees for indoor/outdoor from just $40 plus furniture that appears for short periods up to 50% below specialty store prices.
I’ll never forget coming across an entire shipment of monitors and desks when furnishing my home office priced at nearly $2,000 less than Office Depot and Staples! Always shop with an open mind here.
A portion of Costco’s clothing sales now come via their website – Costco.com offers certain apparel year-round instead of it disappearing forever from warehouses.
Online Outlets Expanding Every Day
While brick-and-mortar discount stores capture much shopper love for the adrenaline rush of in-person scoring marked down loot, online outlets are rapidly entering the space. Powerhouse general merchandisers like Amazon and Walmart now run full-fledged off-price eCommerce operations!
These online treasure troves compete head-on with veterans like Burlington offering every category from designer dresses to statement furniture for outrageously cheap versus other websites. And thanks to free shipping and returns coupled with mobile-optimized browsing, deal hunting from bed keeps my fashion addiction fully fed nowadays!
When the thrill of physical in-store digging loses its luster or I simply can’t make it to retailers during open hours, these digital destinations satisfy the perpetual bargain craver in me. Below are two top picks for web-exclusive off-price discoveries rivaling the best discounted brands at Burlington.
7. Amazon Outlet
As an obsessive online shopper basically living on Amazon these days—both personally and professionally for work—I was thrilled to discover Amazon Outlet. This dedicated portion of Amazon exists solely to compete with stalwarts like T.J. Maxx and Ross to deliver coveted brands across multiple product categories up to 70% off suggested retail price.
I’m talking massively reduced prices on everything from Lacoste clothing and New Balance sneakers to marked down furniture brands like Modway and Christopher Knight Home.
Amazon Outlet impresses by having both limited-run lightning deals along with steady everyday markdowns on certain labels and items curated by style, occasion and room. The convenience factor of free shipping/returns and ability to score next-level discounts on tried-and-true Amazon fashion labels already typically priced affordably pushes this outlet store into a top spot for web-exclusive deals.
8. Walmart Clearance
Similar to Amazon, retail giant Walmart expanded its discounted offerings in recent years with an entire Clearance section across Walmart.com. Hundreds of thousands of products spanning apparel, shoes, accessories, home items, furniture, kitchenware and more are marked down up to 50-90% off!
I appreciate the granular category and subcategory browsing here allowing you to pinpoint exactly what you need from shorts to shoes all discounted by percentage range for easy sorting. Walmart also shows the retail reference price with exact discount percentages afforded versus guessing if something is a “good deal” here.
Given Walmart’s scale as the world’s largest retailer and third-largest public company by gross revenue, their clearance capabilities do closely rival Burlington for consumer reach. Offering so many categories at steep rollbacks up to 90% off makes Walmart Clearance a regular digital haunt for satisfying my deal hunting fix!
Final Tips for Scoring Maximum Discounts
I hope this guide covering over 13 solid stores like Burlington across every shopping category assists fellow bargain devotees on their quest for designer steals and home decor deals!
Remember these insider tips and tricks for maximizing savings at new and old favorite budget-friendly retailers alike:
• Learn sale cycles – every retailer runs promotions at different times from holiday weekends to mid-week flash sales. Study them!
• Don’t over-filter searches – be open to different colors and styles to unlock best pricing
• Check ‘,‘: clearance sections which get marked down further by week
• Price match competitors – Costco, Target and others match select retailers
• Buy out-of-season – shop clothing off-season, buy decor in Jan/July for deals
• Stick up on staples – white tees, classic denim will always get worn
Happy deal hunting! With some tenacity and insider knowledge, the stores like Burlington featured here will serve all your discounted designer fashion and home good needs.
