At which point does “a good thing” become “too much of a good thing”?
Case in point: I venture into my favorite department store: Kohl’s. Upon walking through the door, I’m immediately greeted with lots of “SALE” signs: “huge sale”… “MEGA-sale”… “up to 30% off” sale. You get the idea.
I’m thinking: “Lucky me. I’ve picked a good day to shop at Kohl’s!”
The goal in my mind now switches from: “look for that pair of jeans that I came to buy” to: “check out what’s on sale”.
Once inside the store, I glance to the left and right for the racks which are displaying the sale items in my department. Ta daaa!… Believe it or not, every rack is sporting a SALE sign!
I look beyond my own department toward the Juniors Dept… and lo and behold… everything there is on sale too!
Upon a quick walk through the aisles — from jewelry to men’s to shoes and housewares — I notice that every single rack has a prominently displayed sign stating “these items are on sale!”
What is the point?!
In my opinion, it’s like crying wolf. The message has been diluted. There’s nothing “special” in this store to look at any longer. Not on this day at least.
Yeah, I’ll go back to Kohl’s again. But hopefully it will be a day when not everythingis on sale.
…Call me crazy, but I’d rather feel like I’m getting a bargain. NOT like I’m being suckered by some marketing ploy.
I actually enjoy searching for that “diamond in the rough” — that one item that’s hip & cool… that just happens to be in my size… and is on sale.
My advice to Kohl’s:
Just mark your stuff at whatever price you hope to sell it for. Don’t feel like you’ve gotta have a sale to get us in there. And don’t try to trick us into thinking it’s something’s a good deal or a special price “this day only”.
I’m all about “being real.” I guess I expect that of my department stores too.
Here’s a video describing what I’m talking about. This guy calls it “chameleon pricing.”
Oh, and get this…
I tried to get a photo of a sign or two inside this store, but I was told by the manager: “We don’t allow photographs inside the store.” According to the store clerk, they’re concerned about divulging information to “the competition”. Hmmm… Thankfully, Target (my other favorite store) carries those same jeans!
Always on the lookout for a good bargain, I consider myself a frugal person — but not cheap. And not afraid to spend money on the things that matter. I like to share good deals with others when I find them. One of my favorite ways to save money is to reuse items in ways other than their intended purpose — so I write a lot about outside-the-box ideas that most people wouldn't think of! When I'm not saving money or looking for good deals, you'll find me at the corner of Good News & Fun Times as publisher of The Fun Times Guide (32 fun & helpful websites).
