Mall vs Outlet
There are a good number of differences between mall and outlet. First of all, one should remember that mall and outlet are two different shopping concepts. An outlet is a single discount store; something like a department store. On the other hand, a mall is a group of stores that are physically connected. When it comes to size too, a mall is a huge area covered with a number of shops. An outlet, in general, is just one shop that sells goods of a particular manufacturer. Let us see what more differences exist between mall and outlet.
What is an Outlet?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, an outlet is ‘a shop that sells goods made by a particular manufacturer at discounted prices.’ That means the prices of the goods tend to be lower when it comes to outlets. Outlet, in general, is a place that is adept in selling a single kind of merchandise. As outlets are small shops, sometimes, an outlet may not have a parking area.
An outlet can be a brick and mortar store or an online store. In other words, an outlet can function as a physical building, which people can visit, or a virtual shop where people do shopping using the internet. Thus, an outlet has the distinction of being online too. You can cover an outlet in a limited period of time as they smaller in size compared to malls.
Outlet stores are of two kinds. They are true factory stores and the general stores. Hence, the prices too vary between them. This is not the case with malls though.
What is a Mall?
According to the Oxford English dictionary, a mall is ‘a large enclosed shopping area from which traffic is excluded. ’ This word mall is used chiefly in North America. On the contrary to an outlet, a mall has many different stores that sell various kinds of merchandise. One such example is the Wall Mart. It is one big store with a variety of merchandise.
A mall is characterized by the presence of walkways enabling the shoppers to easily walk from one unit to another unit with ease. You cannot bring vehicles inside the mall. But, it is more likely that a shopping mall has a huge parking area. Another characteristic of a mall is that, unlike in an outlet, you cannot expect the prices to be lowered in the case of malls. Since malls are groups of stores, some of the stores do sell goods at lowered prices. Hence, a mall is a combination of stores that sell at the actual prices and lowered prices. A mall cannot function online as outlets do. It has to be brick and mortar in existence. Also, unlike an outlet, you need to have several hours at your disposal to cover a shopping mall. This is because a shopping mall is a huge area with a number of shops.
What is the difference between Mall and Outlet?
• In general, an outlet is a single discount store; something like department stores.
• On the other hand, a mall is a group of stores that are physically connected.
• When it comes to prices, outlets sell goods at a lower price. A mall is a combination of stores that sell goods at a lower price as well as stores that sell goods at a high price or the normal price.
• Usually, an outlet sells a single kind of merchandise. A mall has different kinds of stores that sell different kinds of merchandise.
• A mall always has a parking area. An outlet may not have a parking area. Thus, it can be said that malls are car-friendly whereas an outlet is generally not car-friendly.
• For a mall to function, it should be in brick and mortar. An outlet can function as an actual place made from brick and mortar or an online shop.
• You can cover an outlet in a limited period of time whereas you need to have several hours at your disposal to cover a shopping mall.
Images Courtesy:
- Outlet by CC BY-SA 3.0)
