My Store vs. Other Stores

[RetailActress]

I work in a women's apparel specialty store which turns itself inside out to please, and to cater to, its customers. BTW, we're doing VERY WELL in these troubled economic times. We also have a catalog channel and a website channel .... any offers or promos on those are immediately honored in our retail stores. The basic philosophy is, whatever the customer wants, the customer gets. They're happy, so they return to shop with us again and again.

So, today was my day off, and I ventured out into the larger retail arena to purchase a digital camera. In a big box store, I found the one I wanted. But in the checkout aisle were flyers advertising $30.00 off the camera I wanted, starting 11/28/08, although today was 11/23/08.

I asked, "Would you honor this offer now, on 11/23/08?" (My store would, if it had the publicity out already.) Answer: "NO."

I then asked, "If I buy this camera today, may I get a price adjustment on 11/28?" (My store would say yes, of course.) Answer: "NO."

Conclusion: I did not buy the camera at that store. I went home and found a better deal on Amazon online.

Big box IDIOTS!

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Umm, you do realize there are lots of stories on this site about customers demanding discounts before they're scheduled by corporate to kick in?

I dub thee SC. I fail to see how it is rude or idiotic for the big-box store to give you a discount before anybody else can have the same discount. What's more, had the store given you the discount, somebody up in the corporate office would've seen that discount being given before its time and somebody would've been grilled about it.

[IvorTangrean]

Thing is, did you talk to a grunt or a manager, a grunt in a big box cannot go around what the coupon says. Your store sounds like quite the place to work, but working at a big box only a manger has that kind of power.

Also was the coupon a store coupon or a supplier coupon, a store one they may honor but a supplier one the rules are stated by the supplier and often even mangers can do nothing about it.

Also why would you vent on this site about how the store honored what was written on the coupon?

[Nashida]

Sorry to say it, but if I was the person you spoke to about the camera, I'd probably have laughed at you.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Sorry to say it, but if I was the person you spoke to about the camera, I'd probably have laughed at you.

As would I.

This might be one of the reasons why my company's Black Friday ad is being such a tightly-guarded secret--so that the items and the prices for those items don't wind up in the hands of people like the OP who will demand the sale prices before the sale, so they don't have to fight the Black Friday crowds.

I haven't even seen the ad. I don't even know most of the items on it.

[RetailActress]

The point I was trying to make:

Today is 11/23/08.

Why was the stupid big-box store disseminating flyers, IN-STORE, advertising a considerable discount --- $30.00 off a digital camera --- which doesn't go into effect until FIVE DAYS LATER, on 11/28/08? Don't they want to sell stuff NOW?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Okay, I will grant you the store pulled a stupid there. They should not have had the flyers out.

I would've found a manager and asked why those flyers were out.

Still, you shouldn't have expected the discount just because your store would've granted it. There are many differences between a small, specialty store and a large, big-box retail chain.

[IvorTangrean]

The point I was trying to make:

Today is 11/23/08.

Why was the stupid big-box store disseminating flyers, IN-STORE, advertising a considerable discount --- $30.00 off a digital camera --- which doesn't go into effect until FIVE DAYS LATER, on 11/28/08? Don't they want to sell stuff NOW?

That is a valid point, you just came across as more commenting about how they did not "turn itself inside out to please, and to cater to, its customers" then WTF why so early.

[Nyoibo]

The point I was trying to make:

Today is 11/23/08.

Why was the stupid big-box store disseminating flyers, IN-STORE, advertising a considerable discount --- $30.00 off a digital camera --- which doesn't go into effect until FIVE DAYS LATER, on 11/28/08? Don't they want to sell stuff NOW?

Ever seen an ad on TV or something, a movie coming out soon, something like that, it's to make you aware of the fact that it's going to be there soon. By doing that they let people know about it beforehand, rather than only letting people know of it on the day and then only customers in the store on that day know about it.



(I said "Know about it" way to many times in that post)

[RetailActress]

Look. Let's start making sense. What sort of marketing says: "This camera you want to buy is advertised to be thirty dollars cheaper next week, but, because you are here willing to buy it from us here on Sunday, 11/23/08, we're going to sock you the full shot" -- ????

[fma_fanatic]

Let's make more sense: What is 11/28?

BLACK FRIDAY


Need I say more? Of course they're not going to want to give you the discount now if they can wait 5 days more and know that people will be like lemmings and bring more money in the day after Thanksgiving.

While it's nice that you're store bends over backwards and kisses their customers ass, big box stores are not required to do the same. It might help to know that this is how it is and if you don't like it, remember this phrase: Bullshit talks, Money walks.

[IvorTangrean]

Most, but they tend to only come out a day or two early.

[IvorTangrean]

Let's make more sense: What is 11/28?

BLACK FRIDAY


Need I say more?

fma_fanatic FTW!

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Look. Let's start making sense. What sort of marketing says: "This camera you want to buy is advertised to be thirty dollars cheaper next week, but, because you are here willing to buy it from us here on Sunday, 11/23/08, we're going to sock you the full shot" -- ????

That sounds like an error on the part of someone in the store for putting out those flyers too soon.

No, they should not have been put out there before the first day of the promotion. However due to an oversight, they were. Therefore the price should have been honored and the advertisements removed from the sales floor immediately so that there are no more issues over the promotion.

Or at least that's what we would do at the Litter Box (come to think of it, WD would do the same thing in that case.)

Now if it were a newspaper flyer, such as those ads that will come out in Thursday's mega-paper (the one that will be so heavy you'll need a wagon to haul it in otherwise you'll end up with a hernia) for Friday, then of course that would be a bit different as they are giving the public advance notice of their sales so that they can plan their Black Friday shopping accordingly.

As a side note: let's not let this get heated. If there's a problem, use the report button and one of us will take it from there.

We now continue with your regularly scheduled thread . . .

[fma_fanatic]

That sounds like an error on the part of someone in the store for putting out those flyers too soon.

No, they should not have been put out there before the first day of the promotion. However due to an oversight, they were. Therefore the price should have been honored and the advertisements removed from the sales floor immediately so that there are no more issues over the promotion.

Or at least that's what we would do at the Litter Box (come to think of it, WD would do the same thing in that case.)

Now if it were a newspaper flyer, such as those ads that will come out in Thursday's mega-paper (the one that will be so heavy you'll need a wagon to haul it in otherwise you'll end up with a hernia) for Friday, then of course that would be a bit different as they are giving the public advance notice of their sales so that they can plan their Black Friday shopping accordingly.

As a side note: let's not let this get heated. If there's a problem, use the report button and one of us will take it from there.

We now continue with your regularly scheduled thread . . .

Actually, according to BlackFriday.info, there are several stores who have put out their sales ads early so that shoppers can plan their purchases accordingly. The problem is, as displayed here, is that we have people who want the sales now now now! (anyone else hear Veruca Salt?) Again, it ain't gonna happen.

As for problems, what problems? I'm just saying it like it is. If you don't like my opinion, ignore me.