Handbag discounts exceed 50% as fall shopping begins

Retailers and designers are rolling out steep discounts on handbags as the season shifts and shoppers hunt bargains online, with outlets and brands marking down a wide range of styles from everyday totes to mini shoulder bags. The price cuts, timed before autumn and major shopping events, have highlighted both practical, convertible designs and a continued runway-driven interest in brown and earthy tones.

Major brands and outlet sites are offering reductions that often exceed 50 percent on select models. A small convertible shoulder bag from a well-known label has been discounted from about $359 to roughly $125 in multiple colorways, and a floral-printed small shoulder style was reduced from $329 to $95 and then further to about $76 after an additional autoapplied discount at checkout. Other markdowns include white shoulder bags advertised around 60 percent off and several midpriced and luxury designs available at half price or more.

Shoppers responding to these sales have praised the combination of style and utility. One reviewer on an outlet product page wrote, "So stylish and I can fit a surprising amount of things inside," while another said the bag was "so much prettier in...