Outlet, sales, clearance, liquidation: what is the difference in Belgium?
What is an outlet store, and how is it different from the sales, a clearance or a closing-down liquidation? In Belgium these words are not interchangeable: some are strictly regulated by law, others not at all. In this article we set the four ideas side by side, explain where our shoes come from and look at what each one means for your guarantee.
What is an outlet store?
An outlet store is a shop that sells branded goods below the usual high-street price all year round. The lower price does not come from a temporary promotion but from the way the shop buys its stock: in large quantities, with few middlemen and low overheads. Some outlets are run by a brand itself; others are independent shops that buy large lots and sell them on, like Outlet Chaussures Bruxelles.
Worth knowing: in Belgium, the word outlet is not a legal term. It carries no fixed period, no obligation to notify anyone and no minimum discount. What matters is what the shop actually offers you: new or second-hand goods, with or without the original box, from recent or older collections. So look at the products themselves, not just the sign over the door.
With us, the answer is simple. All our shoes are new, unworn and sold in their original box, and our prices are fixed all year. You can read how this works in practice on our page How our outlet works.
Where our shoes come from: Italy and large chains
We buy in bulk in Italy, directly from large retail chains. These chains sell their stock in large lots, and because we take a complete lot each time, we get terms that a small shoe shop does not. The shoes then go straight to our shop on Place du Jeu de Balle, with no extra middlemen.
That explains our prices, from around €20 to €150 a pair depending on brand and model. The saving is made when we buy, not through a temporary price cut: we do not need to sell a shoe at a high price first and then offer it for less. We work with a fixed range of brands:
- Geox: sneakers and trainers, smart shoes, children’s shoes and Geox jackets.
- Ecco: comfortable shoes in supple leather.
- Naturino and Primigi: Italian children’s shoes.
- Valentino and Voile Blanche: Italian sneakers with a distinctive style.
Our page about our brands introduces each of them. Because we buy by the lot, the same model is often available in a long run of sizes.
The sales: only in January and July
The sales, called soldes in French and solden in Dutch, are regulated in Belgium by the Code of Economic Law. There are two sales periods a year: one in January and one in July, each running until the end of that month. Outside those periods, a shop may not use the word sales to advertise its prices.
The idea behind the sales is simple: the shop clears last season’s stock to make room for the new collection. For this year’s exact dates, check with the FPS Economy. Our article on the sales dates in Belgium sets out the dates and the rules for the weeks before them.
An outlet works the other way round. There is no normal price that applies first and then drops; the low price is there from the start and stays. That is why we do not hold sales, neither in January nor in July: our outlet prices apply every day of the year.
Clearance and liquidation
Clearance
A clearance, known as déstockage in French and stockverkoop in Dutch, is not a legal concept but a commercial term. A brand or shop sells off surplus stock at a lower price, often for a short time: a weekend in a hall, a week in the shop. The ordinary rule on price reductions still applies: anyone announcing a reduction in Belgium must calculate it from the lowest price they charged in the previous thirty days.
Liquidation
A liquidation or closing-down sale, called liquidation in French and uitverkoop in Dutch, is strictly regulated. A shop may only use the term in the cases listed by law, such as the business closing, a move to new premises, major renovation work, damage from a disaster or the death of the trader. The aim is to sell off the entire existing stock, so a liquidation is by definition exceptional and temporary. If the same shop window displays a total liquidation sign year after year, a little caution is wise.
The difference at a glance
| Type | When | Why it is cheaper | Legal framework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outlet | All year round | Different buying, e.g. in bulk | No specific legal status; general pricing rules |
| Sales | January and July | Clearing the season’s stock | Fixed periods in the Code of Economic Law |
| Clearance | Whenever the seller decides, often briefly | Selling off surplus | No specific definition; rules on price reductions (30 days) |
| Liquidation | Once, in exceptional cases | Selling the entire stock | Only in the cases listed by law |
To find out how our shop works day to day, read our article on our shoe outlet at Place du Jeu de Balle.
What this means for your guarantee
The way you buy does not change your legal rights. For new goods that a consumer buys from a trader, Belgian law provides a two-year legal guarantee, whether you buy in the sales, at a clearance or in an outlet. A low price does not reduce that guarantee.
- The legal guarantee covers defects in the product, not normal wear and tear or a size that turns out not to fit.
- Keep your receipt: it proves where and when you bought the item.
- Report a defect as soon as possible to the shop where you bought it.
- Exchanging an item is not a legal right in a shop; many shops do not exchange during the sales, and that is allowed.
- The fourteen-day right of withdrawal only applies to distance purchases, such as online, and not in a shop.
With us, every purchase comes with a receipt, and with it the legal guarantee, just as in any other shop. If you would like to exchange a pair, you can do so within a week of purchase: ask at the till and keep the shoes unworn and in their box. Because we only sell in the shop, trying shoes on the spot is the best way to avoid a wrong purchase.
So do drop by at Place du Jeu de Balle 40, every day from 10 am to 3.30 pm, Sundays included, and take your time trying on both shoes. Getting here by public transport or car is explained on our page Shop and directions.
Outlets, sales and liquidation: frequently asked questions
Is an outlet allowed to sell more cheaply all year round?
Yes. A shop sets its own prices, and a price that is low all year round does not fall under the rules on sales periods. Only the word sales and the announcement of a price reduction are subject to strict rules.
Are outlet shoes of lower quality?
Not with us. All our shoes are new, unworn and sold in their original box; they come from recent collections of large chains from which we buy in bulk in Italy.
Does Outlet Chaussures Bruxelles hold sales in January or July?
No. We hold no sales and no temporary promotions. Our outlet prices, from around €20 to €150, apply all year round.
Do I have a guarantee on shoes bought in an outlet or in the sales?
Yes. New goods carry the two-year legal guarantee, whatever the price or the time of purchase. Keep your receipt and report any defect to the shop as soon as possible.
