To some, shopping is finding comfort through cotton and colors. To many, shopping is finding comfort in knowing they seized the best deal possible.

Story by Gloria Akinnibosun

Illustration by Jasmy Liu

The Urban Outlet sale took place on Sunday, Sept. 22 at Space 24 Twenty, one of Austin’s most popular community and event spaces. Being that the sale lasted from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., the idea of filling one’s bag to the brim with pricey goods for just $50 opened many closed doors for a multitude of people. Aside from providing apparel and accessories of every color, cut and cloth, this sale provided extreme cost-efficient opportunities for all.

Austinites camped outside prior to the event’s commencement, emphasizing the sacrifice people were willing to make in order to partake in the sale. The event centered around an adventure of box-diving, purse-sorting and shoe-hunting shenanigans.

According to Business Insider, the trendy brand is an expensive option for its main target: young consumers. Customers have admitted to using Urban’s products for style inspiration at neighboring retailers, such as H&M and Forever 21 ― where clothes’ prices are about half of that of Urban’s.

As Urban tends to have a wider variety of fashion options and high quality items, they look to continue doubling down their efforts of being the inclusive retailer that puts their consumers first.

“Urban Outfitters told investors that it was working to sell clothing at a wider variety of price points,” according to Business Insider.

From an outward perspective, the apaced crowd ravaging through boxes at the Urban Outlet sale may have seemed quite intimidating. However, the sale proved a great opportunity for UT students like Sara Abraha, a human development and family sciences sophomore, to shop for luxurious clothing at a discounted price.

“I believe the Urban Outlet sale was an amazing way to allow students, like me, to take advantage of an opportunity to get as many desirable items without having to worry too much about how I would be able to afford each item individually,” Abraha said.

As a college student, it can be discouraging to not find budget-friendly clothes, she said. Especially when immersing into fast-growing cities like Austin, posed with higher costs of living, it can be even more difficult to find quality clothes at a reasonable price.

“Coming to Austin when I started college was already a culture shock because of the little access to affordable stores that are at reach to students who attend UT and don’t have the ability to regularly afford places like Urban,” Abraha said.

Although Urban didn’t allow customers to try on their clothes, many people were still joyful to discover various articles of clothing that they felt fit their styles perfectly. “After my experience with the sale, I left feeling very pleased that I didn’t have to spend a fortune to upgrade my wardrobe,” Abraha said. “At large, this sale definitely provided a bridge to allow students to splurge on themselves and be able to afford it, something that a lot of incoming students have trouble with.”

One can argue this sale was Urban’s way of ridding items that had not sold well during past seasons. According to Urban Outfitters, the location of its retail stores originated with a focus on their target market of college and younger consumers looking for trendy and inexpensive clothing. Luckily enough, the convenience of this conscious placement made it easier for UT students to access the styles they desired.

The aftermath of their sale success sheds light on the cutoff of target consumers who are unable to shop at Urban as well as other retail stores on a regular day, due to their inability to afford their usual price of clothing.

“This sale definitely did garner a lot of good attention because it drew the attention of people that don’t necessarily, or can’t, shop at Urban due to their prices” said Rheal Zackaria, an economics sophomore. “…It gave people who can’t normally afford Urban the chance to shop at a high-quality retail store.The sale to me was a means of fostering confidence in people who can’t normally afford this stuff.”

Although many students deem Urban as pricey, the company itself advertises their products as an affordable option for young people and still work diligently in providing local campus opportunities like such to fill in the gap.

At the end of the day, opportunities like the Urban Outlet sale make it easier for young people, especially students, to access what is deemed inaccessible.