Urban Outfitters seems to be a fashionable brand in retailing, but it wasn't until last week that I was introduced to Anthropologie. If you haven't heard, seen, or been in an Anthropologie store, you are missing an experience, no kidding.

After returning from the store, I researched some numbers that surprised me. Here's one that really left an impression: the average Anthropologie customer spends eighty minutes in the store per trip. Eighty -- that's an hour and twenty minutes on each trip. How much time do you think the typical shopper spends with other retailers? Fifteen minutes. That's an incredible figure that should describe a bit about the feel of the stores.

Anthropologie was formed to profit from patrons of the Urban Outfitters brand who outgrew UA's fashions. As such, the target market for Anthropologie clothing is a 30 to 40'ish sophisticated woman with high discretionary income. Not a bad niche to target!

Ask ten women how they feel about Anthropologie and you'll probably hear . . . one opinion! Almost unanimously, people love the store, but aren't crazy about the prices. Granted, they are high, but for good reason. Anthropologie is very selective and exclusive with their fashion lines, and just about everything you find in a retail location is a limited edition run. Heck, they even have a good selection of one-of-a-kind pieces!

These items tend to fly off of the shelves, leaving mismatched items here and there, but that leads to an opportunity for buyers: namely, sales racks. There are quite a few sale items if you're not against hunting, which I'm sure is partly responsible the long shopping visits.

What I like most about Anthropologie clothes is the distinctive styling. Their clothes include a lot of flowery prints, appliques, and velvets, but look classy and sexy at the same time. The impression that I get is that it's a clothing line for confident women who aren't compelled to reveal half of their bodies to look sexy. Score, I think.

For anyone really looking for a deal, you can find discount Anthropologie clothing online – not through the Anthropologie store, but through other outlets. I can't imagine that this stuff is wholesale, and with the high turnover in clothing, I would doubt it's made up of last season's items either, but the price is attractive!

Bottom line: if you haven't yet stepped foot in an Anthropologie store, determine if there's one within driving distance. It really is a great shopping experience. But beware of the prices!

Smruti Evans runs the discount Gucci bags web store and maintains several popular weblogs, including the Discount Designer Clothing blog.

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