June Buzz
I don't know about anyone else but are you as confused about
shopping and pricing as I am?
I always just assumed that the average person couldn’t
possibly believe those “One Day Sales" stores have are
for real - as if it was a sale that stores only had a few times a year as
opposed to every week. What makes these sales even more confounding is the "special "coupons
you can use, after the coupons exclude all the good products, they ask
for your first born, your favorite shoes, etc.
I recently had an experience where I bought something
that I didn’t know was on sale but at the checkout it rang up at
40% off. I said “cool, I’ll get something else”. Well,
it wasn't on sale and my coupons weren't good until a few days later. Now
this is obviously a game of strategy and I say, BRING IT ON! I am going
to win at all costs and save some mula while doing it. So I make a purchase
and then return the merchandise a week later and guess what? ON SALE…and
I can use a coupon so now my purchase rings up at 60% less. Well,
now I’m happy and angry at the same time. I start thinking of all
the times I have made purchases and wonder - should I have been playing
this game? Did I overpay? Why are they torturing me with this craziness?
I am a very busy person with no time to shop. I have made trips to the
mall at 9pm to scout out my purchases and see if I should be exchanging,
returning, re-gifting, you get the picture. I am so worried that someone
else is getting a better deal, I wake up at night in a cold sweat, devising
new ideas on how to beat the system.
I was recently told by a colleague that she actually got something
for free! She went to pay for her purchase, had some coupons and the salesperson
handed the purchase over with no money exchanged. That’s right, the
salesperson said it was all set and the purchase was free! Well she did what
any savvy shopper would do in that instance; run out of the store as fast
as possible before the "Candid Camera” people came out from behind
the curtain to tell her she’d been had.
Now, I know this can be entertaining for a short period but
really, I’M DONE. I don't want to play anymore. I find it extremely
unsatisfying to be standing at a checkout desk, trying to make a purchase
while the salesperson has to ring 5 ways to Sunday to figure out today's
price. To add to the mix, I’m totally suspicious of the whole “pricing” and “value” that
these stores offer. I’ve always felt with our business that if we sell
at a "fair price", not necessarily the cheapest, but FAIR, “purchase-without
the-worry-of-coupons” type of price we would be safe in the game.
It appears some people want to play and have the notion, like
I did, that they are winning, but in reality I think we’re all just
getting suckered into a game that isn’t played fairly. I find it’s
an addiction and we need to quit. Let’s get back to wanting and demanding
good quality products at a fair and honest price. A girl can dream, can’t
she?
Peggy Burns
Queen Bee
Circle Furniture
Previous Buzz issues
June 2009
May 2009
April 2009
March 2009
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