A store or shop is a place where goods and services are sold. There are various types of shops all over the world. Outlets, also known as factory outlets or outlet stores, are a type of store that directly sells their products from the manufacturer to the public, often at discounted prices. Thus, the key difference between outlet and store is that outlets are directly connected to the manufacturer and don’t typically involves middlemen whereas general stores involve middlemen.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is an Outlet
3. What is a Store
4. Side by Side Comparison – Outlet vs Store in Tabular Form
5. Summary
What is an Outlet?
An outlet is a shop that sells products from a particular manufacturer, often at discounted prices. The word outlet often refers to a factory outlet or an outlet store. In these stores, the manufacturers can directly sell their products to the public, without involving any middlemen. The prices at an outlet store are typically lower than that of a general store. Traditionally, outlets used to be attached to the factory or the warehouses, but in a modern context, outlets are also located in shopping malls.
Figure 01: Outlet Store
Although the two terms factory outlet and outlet store are often used interchangeably, there is a difference between them. Factory outlets only sell products of one brand, and they are run by the manufacturers themselves. Factory outlets, on the other hand, are run by retails and sell different brands.
What is a Store?
A store is a building where goods or services are sold. The store is a synonym for the shop. Stores can be classified into various types based on the merchandise they sell. Some stores sell only one type of merchandise whereas some stores sell various types of merchandise.
Types of Stores
Some examples of shops that sell only one type of merchandise include:
- Bookstores
- Clothe stores
- Drugstores
- Liquor store
- Jewelry store
There are also shops that sell similar categories of products. For example, grocery stores sell food and things people need for their homes, and hardware stores equipment and tools that are used in home and yard.
Figure 02: Grocery Store
Some stores also sell a variety of products. Convenience stores, department stores, chain stores, etc. are some examples of this type of stores.
The process of buying and selling products in a store involves many steps. Manufacturers don’t directly sell their products to the public in this process. There are many middlemen involved in this process such as wholesalers and retailers. This involvement of middlemen is the main difference between outlet and store.
What is the Difference Between Outlet and Store?
Outlet vs Store |
|
| An outlet is a shop that sells products from a particular manufacturer, often at discounted prices. | The store is a building where goods or services are sold. |
| Factory | |
| The outlet is typically attached to a factory. | Stores are not attached to a factory. |
| Price | |
| Outlets often sell prices at a discounted prices. | Store sell products at retail prices. |
| Types | |
| There are two types of outlets as factory outlets and outlet stores. | There are a variety of stores based on the type of merchandise sold. |
| Location | |
| Outlets are either attached to the factory or warehouse or are located in malls. | Stores can be found in different places. |
Summary – Outlet vs Store
A store is a place where goods and services are sold. There are different types of stores and outlet store is one of them. An outlet store is a store where products of a manufacturer are sold directly to the public, without involving any middlemen. However, general buying and selling process in a shop involves many middlemen. This is the key difference between outlet and store.
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Image Courtesy:
1.’1850804′ (Public Domain) via Pixabay
2.’2119702′ (Public Domain) via Pixabay