Hi nawty-gifts,
By new merchandise, you may be referring to the latest product release. Clearance and shelf pulls do not necessarily mean old stocks. A closeout or clearance is the final sale of items to zero inventory. These can be models which are not selling well, or because of the business closing down (due to relocation, or going-out-of business sale/banckruptcy). In these instances, when the store closes down they let people know that it is their final chance to buy the merchandise.
Products that the stores buy but fail to sell will fall under Overstock Merchandise. These may contain new items shelf-pulls, overstock and liquidated merchandise. There’s a high probability that the items are out-of-season models, but most of the loads are in perfect condition with the tags and labels. But quite frankly, products offered in liquidation do come in a wide variety of conditions. You may be dealing with used as well as new items, but you can have the option of choosing the category you wish to purchase. :)
If you are after the latest product releases of the designer labels, I think it will be rare to have access to these latest stocks of the higher end brands unless you have a direct contact with an authorized distributor. And authorized distributors rarely sell their stocks, since they intend to distribute it themselves for profit.
Exclusivity is the essence of designer wear/products. They thrive on the notion that the harder it is to get the more people will want them. High end designers do not release goods in bulk simply because they intentionally avoid flooding the market with their products.
The only option, aside from getting these items straight from the brand owners, would be through liquidators. They can have closeouts and salvage items from some of the top department stores.
Hope this helps. :)