Are sales really that good?

where I want to · #1 12/03/13, 11:18 AM

My real indulgence, except for the "retired" animals I have, is to buy a new DVD or Blue Ray each month.
At the middle of the year, I noticed the price was going up each month for the same movies.
Now I have noticed that the sale price is just a little more than the full price at the beginning of last year.
I'm thinking that a lot of these sales might be the same way. The retailers have noted that people will not shop unless it's a "discount" but have raised the prices over the last months in order to call it on salewhen they are actually selling at what should be the normal price.
But that would mean that things bought during the rest of the year are actually not offered at a resonable price.

emdeengee · #2 12/03/13, 01:55 PM

Nothing new about this. Retailers were doing this 35 years ago when I worked in retail.

Bring an item in. Put it on the floor at a price that is much higher than you ever intended to sell it at - say 20%. Some people will buy because they don't care about pricing.

After two weeks reduce it by 10%. Then after another two weeks reduce it by another 10% claiming 20% (well 19% actually) off of regular price. It is but in two steps not just the last one. You are now just at the price you originally intended to earn for this item yet you have had two "reductions" according to information you are giving the customer.

Next time you put the item out on the floor for the first time at 25% more than you ever intended to sell it for. Even when you take the reductions you are still earning more than with the original item.

where I want to · #3 12/03/13, 01:59 PM

I guess I was so surprised by it being so prevalent on Amazon and other internet sites.
I suppose it's part of Amazon's business plan to leave the blanket bargains behind at some point.

emdeengee · #4 12/03/13, 02:10 PM

It is surprising and disappointing - there are a lot of "games" being played that are not illegal but certainly not honest.

In Canada we went through a bad recession and wages and price controls were introduced. It certainly worked at keeping prices controlled but was very confusing. If an item came in to the store and the regular price was $10 then it was always $10. You could reduce the price for sales but you could never increase the regular price - of THAT item. If in the next shipment the regular price was $12 then it was always $12 for that item. So by the end of the year you could have the same item on the shelf that cost more than an identical older item. You could not jack the price up on the old item.

Bellyman · #5 12/03/13, 03:12 PM

I think most retailers (grocery included) try to offer new deals to entice people to buy. I've seen several different approaches to the same item over the past couple of years.

A particular kind of fish that I look for in a particular store... For a while, it was a certain price but very cheap with their store customer card. Then the price went back to a "normal" level, not great but comparable with about what you'd expect to spend for it. Then it went to a much higher price, nearly double, with a "buy one get one free" offer.

Occasionally there are bargains to be had. They're not always well advertised. It helps to know the general prices on the stuff you like so that you have a better idea of when a real bargain comes along.

Walmart is notorious for putting a sale price or "Rollback" price on something and when you lift the little "Rollback" price tag up and look underneath, it's exactly the same price as it was before the magnificient "Rollback".

There are even times when I've found that two 4oz packages will cost less than one 8oz package so buying the larger size doesn't always save anything either.

There's always something going on to try to entice someone to buy. Bargains? Maybe, maybe not. Gotta do a little math most times and decide whether it really is.

mmoetc · #6 12/03/13, 03:20 PM

We have a local grocery that frequently has 8oz sour cream on sale 4 for $5. The regular price of the 16 oz, same brand, is $2.29. Guess which I buy. I heard a retail analyst speaking recently about how our culture has become that many won't buy unless the item is on sale. Haggling over price is still prevalent in many cultures. Perhaps our expecting sale prices is our more civilized way of achieving the same result.

jwal10 · #7 12/04/13, 06:46 PM

IF it is used, in good condition and on sale, 1/2 price or less, I may be interested. But then again, I have to really need it. Sooo I haven't bought a thing in 3 months....James

Danaus29 · #8 12/07/13, 07:51 PM

Store closing sales are one place I have noticed the "sale" game. The store raises the price to above normal then "discounts" it so it is still higher than usual but below the previous price. People think they are getting a bargain. Many times I've seen "great sale" prices that are 3 or so cents cheaper than the regular price. I laugh and walk away unless it's an item I truly need and would have bought anyway.

edcopp · #9 12/07/13, 08:41 PM

It might be a conspiricy.

countryfied2011 · #10 12/08/13, 05:11 PM

The other day on the news they were talking about the sales on BF, one of the items was a blender for 29.99(i think) back in July they had it on sale for 19.99. Then they talked about some other items that were cheaper during the year then on BF. They say this goes on all the time. That a lot of the stuff that is on sale during BF is actually cheaper through out the year in other sales. Imagine that!

I use to be an assistant to a buyer who bought children's clothing,strollers, toys etc. The markup pricing on clothes was from 75 to 100% from what the buyers bought it for. I use to have to key in the pricing for the store. There were certain items like Mattel etc that had set prices for their goods but everything else always had a high price that is how they were able to have so many markdowns.

big rockpile · #11 12/10/13, 10:03 PM

This time year we found Wal Mart and Bass Pro not really having sales. Found most stuff look around through the year can find most everything reasonable.

big rockpile

joebill · #12 12/11/13, 09:05 PM

An older gent I know was made "canned goods department" manager in a market something like 50 years ago, and decided to be a hero by running a sale on Ketchup, so he ordered cases and cases of it and put a sign up......"Ketchup 25 cents"

A week later, he still had most of it in stock and the owner was getting crabby and he was scared of losing his position, so he changed the sign to read "Ketchup......3/$1.00
and sold out in a few days.

He gleaned some meaning from that experience about merchandising, worked with it and experimented, went in business.........now owns a LOT of businesses and business properties in and around Sante Fe NM, and his son has followed in his footsteps.

I don't really LIKE the fact that folks are that easy to manipulate, but being that they are, I can't blame him for doing it as long as he is honest about it.....Joe