Guess Vs Guess Factory: Differences And How To Choose

Guess is a well-known American clothing brand that is famous for its designer jeans as well as other fashion items such as bags, watches, and perfumes. However, not as many people know of Guess Factory, and how (if at all) this differs from the brand Guess.

So, what’s the difference between Guess and Guess Factory?

Guess is the main overall brand, which sells the latest on-trend fashion items at a higher cost both online and in-store. Guess Factory is an extension of Guess, which sells old season Guess merchandise at a reduced cost through its Guess Factory stores. 

That’s the answer in brief.

But, if you want to find out in more detail how Guess and Guess Factory differ, then just continue reading.

Guess Vs Guess Factory: Main Differences

Let’s start by discussing the main differences you can expect between Guess and Guess Factory.

1. Brand Vs Factory

The most obvious difference between Guess and Guess Factory comes down to the fact that Guess is the main overall brand, whereas Guess Factory is an extension of Guess which sells most of its merchandise through factory stores.

Guess was created in 1981 by the Marciano brothers, and one of its main aims at the time was to give people in the US access to high-end designer European-inspired denim clothing. 

Over time, several extensions of the main Guess brand have come and gone, such as G by Guess, for example. 

Guess Factory dates back to around 1989, and arose from the main brand Guess, and now is one of the main ways in which Guess sells its products. 

As of 2002, Guess had 67 factory stores across the US and Canada selling Guess Factory clothing and fashion items. 

Therefore, as you can see, Guess is the parent brand, whereas Guess Factory is an extension of the main brand and is another way via which Guess sells its products to its target market.

2. Type Of Stock

One of the most important differences to note between Guess and Guess Factory is the type of stock that they sell.

Guess, being the main parent brand, sells the latest lines of on-trend fashion items which are designed specifically for marketing by Guess.

This means when shopping at Guess, you will have access to the latest fashion trends and new season merchandise created by Guess designers.

Guess Factory, on the other hand, sells a mixture of old season clothing, over-stock, and discontinued merchandise from full retail price Guess stores in its factory stores.

This means that when shopping at Guess Factory, you won’t find clothing that is necessarily consistent with the latest trends, however, you will still find merchandise that carries the Guess label and style at a lower price point.

This is the main practical difference between Guess and Guess Factory.

3. Price 

Of course, there is a big difference in the cost of the items you can buy at Guess vs Guess Factory.

This is because, as I just mentioned, Guess Factory sells old season Guess stock, and merchandise that has been discontinued or otherwise cannot be sold via the main Guess brand. 

Because you are not buying items hot off the fashion press, you can therefore expect a price reduction when shopping at Guess Factory compared with Guess.

For example, a pair of sunglasses will cost you in the region of $40-50 from Guess Factory, whereas you can expect to pay upward of $100 for a pair of sunglasses from Guess.

This isn’t an insignificant price difference, and it is one of the main reasons that Guess Factory is so successful, as it offers stylish Guess products at a more accessible cost.

Bear in mind these are very rough estimates of price. The cost will, of course, depend partly on where you’re buying it from as well as your geographical location. 

Guess Vs Guess Factory: How To Choose 

Now that we’ve discussed the main differences between Guess and Guess Factory, we can get to discussing how you might go about choosing between the two.

Here I’ll list some of the main factors to consider before you start your shopping spree.

1. Budget

Your budget is one of the most important deciding factors when choosing whether to shop at Guess or Guess Factory.

If you are on a tighter budget, choosing to shop at Guess Factory will mean that your money will stretch further, and you will be able to buy more products for your budget than if you were shopping at Guess.

Guess Factory often has additional sales promotions on top of their already reduced price stock, meaning that if you’re lucky you can find some real bargains.

On the other hand, if budget isn’t an issue for you and you have your sight set on a particular item from Guess’ new season, then shopping at Guess may be the right thing for you.

2. Trend

Another thing to consider other than budget is how important it is to you to have new season clothing and be on-trend with your fashion purchases.

For some people, having the latest trends is important, or it may be that you have simply caught sight of a particular item from Guess’ new season that you want for your own.

If this strikes a chord with you, then shopping at Guess will give you access to the latest season of on-trend clothing that you are looking for.

For some people, however, having the latest trend isn’t so important, and they’d rather get Guess clothing at a reduced cost, even if it isn’t from the latest season.

In this situation, Guess Factory can be a great option.

How important being ‘on-trend’ is to you is, therefore, another factor to consider as it is likely to influence your decision to shop at Guess or Guess Factory. 

3. Online Vs In-Store

Something that you may not have considered before is whether or not you can get Guess and Guess Factory online or in-store.

For many people nowadays, shopping online is a great convenience and time saver, particularly if you live in more rural areas.

Unfortunately, getting access to Guess Factory online can be sometimes difficult, as Guess Factory merchandise is mostly sold through brick-and-mortar Guess Factory stores.

This may not be an issue in the US and Canada, as there are several Guess Factory stores in outlet malls, which if you’re lucky, may not be too far from you.

However, if you are far away from a Guess Factory store, or live outside of the US & Canada, then you are going to be more restricted in what you can buy.

The online Guess website mainly sells new season items from the main Guess brand, as well as Guess for kids and Marciano by Guess.

Therefore, if you can’t get to a Guess Factory store, you are mostly restricted to buying Guess clothing. 

This access is therefore also going to factor into whether or not you choose to shop at Guess or Guess Factory. 

Conclusion

Hopefully, through this article, I’ve given you a better understanding of the differences between Guess and Guess Factory, which often causes confusion to people who haven’t come across this brand before.

Whichever you choose to shop from, rest assured that you’re likely to find some great pieces for your wardrobe.