‘Ross is definitely trickier than TJ Maxx’: Los Angeles shopper picks up a Wrangler bag at Ross. Then he exposes a code on the tag that reveals all
If you thought you were getting an amazing deal on high-end apparel brands at Ross, you may want to double-check the tag. This Los Angeles shopper reveals the sneaky way the off-price retailer hides lower-quality items in plain sight with small print on the price tag.
In a video with over 714,000 views, TikToker Elliott (@callmebelly) stands in the handbag aisle at Ross, a popular discount retailer. The Mary Sue previously reported on the TikToker’s tips for reading the tags at Marshall’s and HomeGoods.
“Ross is definitely a little trickier than T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods,” he says. “But there are a few things that you can look for.”
How to read labels at Ross
First, he shows a blue, Wrangler crossbody purse hanging on the shelf.
“You may be thinking, look at this Wrangler purse. You don’t really see much from this label,” he continues. “You’re actually going to want to be looking at the other label.” Elliott flips the Ross price tag up to reveal the original Wrangler tag on the product.
He points out that the tag lists the manufacturer as “Montana West, an official licensee of Wrangler.”
“This bag was specifically made for this Ross,” he claims. “This is not a real Wrangler bag. I mean, it is technically, but this bag was specifically made for these outlets.”
Elliott shows another bag by Bebe and says it’s legit because its original tag doesn’t say it was manufactured by a licensee.
He also finds an Adidas bag and socks that list Agron as the manufacturer.
“That is proof that this is not made by Adidas,” he suggests.
The TikToker offers a final tip: Use Google Lens to reverse-image search a product to see if it’s sold at the brand’s own store.
Do brands make items specifically for off-price stores?
Many brands actually manufacture separate products for outlets and off-price stores, according to NBC Washington. These “licensed” items may use lower-quality materials to lower prices, making it seem like shoppers are getting a discount on a name-brand product.
However, some commenters who work in fashion manufacturing say the TikToker’s Ross hack may not be accurate.
“I’ve worked in product licensing before. Most of your major brands use licensees to manufacture products. We handle major brands, and they are sold in the brand stores. Just because it shows that it was manufactured by a licensee doesn’t make it ‘made for a discount’ retailer,” one explains.
“Montana West and Wrangler had a collaboration,” another suggests.
A third adds, “Former corporate adidas employee here….Agron makes almost all adidas accessories like bags, hats, socks, etc…. so what you are saying is 100% incorrect. Those are made by adidas (aka: Agron).”
The Mary Sue reached out to Adidas and to Wrangler via email for further comment.
Do viewers care about the quality at Ross?
In the comments, some viewers say they appreciate the tag-reading tutorial and feel like something was “off” with the name-brand products.
“I knew something was off when I would purchase clothing from these stores, and when I looked up the style number, it only came up sometimes,” a commenter says.
“That explains how some brand-name merchandise feels so cheap and low quality sometimes,” a second viewer comments.
However, others say they will continue to purchase cheaper goods from Ross.
“People are buying fakes off the concrete in NYC, we don’t care,” one writes.
Another says, “In this economy, I will buy it either way.”
“I don’t care who makes the item. I care if I get the burst of serotonin and if it makes my heart happy,” a third remarks.
@callmebelly back by popular demand #ross #outlet ♬ original sound – elliott
The Mary Sue reached out to Elliott via email and Instagram direct message and to Ross via media form for further comment.
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