Well that is the thing. The location is not really a factory outlet. Most of the luxary and designer stores in that particular outlet center (and apparently most nation wide) transitioned to a direct retail “boutique” model. The sort of place where you pay full MSRP for the latest and greatest. The Le Creuset went in as part of that change over. The incident happened about 10 years ago, and I’ve popped in more recently to see if it was just as strange as it used to be. Like I said it’s still a pretty odd space. The selection is extremely limited, the pricing is still extreme (even for Le Creuset products) and you aren’t allowed to handle any of the product on display, and there’s nothing but display models on the floor. Employees have to retrieve one from the back for you after you decide what to buy.
The prices are easily twice what they are at the William Sonoma across the parking lot. But the staff are normal human beings instead of reptiloids these days.
From what I understand most of the stores of that type (I forget the term they’re the non outlet, non “factory store” venues) are run directly by the companies. Rather than through retail division or outlet specific subsidies like normal outlet stores.
