Tropical Sportswear Int'l Corp. is selling about 30,000 pairs of its first quality dress and casual pants at close to wholesale prices Saturday at its first annual Father's Day sale.
Just don't ask what brands they would be if the garments had labels. Otherwise local retailers who sell the same stuff for a lot more might object.
At these prices, silence might be worth it. The garments are not irregulars or flawed and almost all of them are new, not unsold inventory.
Shorts are priced at $7 a pair, pants at $10 a pair and shirts at $8. Children's sizes will be sold at $7. While most of the selection is men's pants or slacks, there are women's sizes, too.
Tropical will set up tents and tables from 7 a.m. until 4 p.m. in its headquarters parking lot at 4902 W Waters Ave., Tampa.
While Tropical sells its lines at a deep discount to the public through an outlet at its headquarters called the Store, prices at the tent sale are as much as 50 percent less than that.
It's the first time that Tropical, which makes brands such as Duck Head and Bay to Bay for department stores and warehouse clubs, is expanding its home town community "thank you" event to twice a year.
Tropical has been staging the tent sale in November for eight years. In its best year the sale drew an estimated 20,000 shoppers. So some shoppers get a bit competitive. One more advance warning: There are no fitting rooms, or refunds either.
"A lot of people just wear boxer shorts and try things on over that," company spokeswoman Tracie Domino said. "This is a chance to buy a pair of shorts, a pair of pants and a shirt for $25."
