Price Variations for Soft Goods in Discount and Department Stores

Lower prices are often cited as a major factor in the growth of discount stores. For soft goods, however, well-known brand names are few and price quality comparisons difficult to make. Thus, lower prices may reflect lower quality merchandise rather than the existence of actual price "discounts." This article reports an investigation into the feasibility of comparison shopping for soft goods and the degree to which price differentials exist between discount and department stores.