At some level, all shoppers know that a game is being played in every aisle of every store. Original prices, weekly promotions, clearance racks, coupons, Black Friday, blue-light specials, flash sales, oddly specific prices ending in .99 or .97 — these are just a few of the strategies employed to entice shoppers into making a purchase now. Ostensibly, life would be easier for consumers if retailers skipped the marketing tricks and didn’t play games, and the price was the price. At some level, though, it appears as if shoppers actually like these games, and they’re confused when it seems no game is being played.
Got an in-box clogged with ads from retailers? You’re not alone. In recent months, many stores have been sending customers promotional e-mails at a pace of more than one per day. Spam-happy retailers such as Neiman Marcus deluged subscribers with over 500 e-mails in 2011. But amid studies showing that consumers are growing less likely [...]
Many colleges set tuition prices with the assumption that, on average, students will pay 33% less thanks to financial aid and scholarships. But one university has decided its pricing strategies shouldn’t be comparable to car dealerships or discount department stores.
Less than 1% of J.C. Penney’s revenues come from items bought at full price. By contrast, nearly three-quarters of merchandise sold by the department store chain is discounted by at least 50% off. What this tells shoppers is that J.C. Penney’s original prices are pretty much meaningless. They’re floated out there to see if any [...]
It doesn’t seem to matter that September is closer to Christmas in July than actual Christmas, or that back-to-school shopping has barely ended, or that Halloween and Thanksgiving shopping have barely begun. With retailers’ quest to continually expand the winter holiday shopping season, you’re bound to see stockings, ornaments, and outdoor Santa displays any day [...]
Go big, or go out of business. Time and again over the last few years, retailers have resorted to big discounts as a reliable means to move merchandise and boost sales figures. In some cases, raising prices is accomplishing the same goal.
During a six-hour shopping excursion in Dallas-area malls, three shoppers armed with three different smartphones—Android, Blackberry, iPhone—scan, search, and take advantage of every app under the sun on a two-prong online-real world quest for great gifts and the best prices. What do they find out? While smartphone-enhanced shopping comes with its share of frustrations (Droids [...]
It’s the shopping event that never seems to end, and that you just can’t get away from—even though it’s already over. It’s Black Friday, the day that celebrates unadulterated consumerism, fittingly with a name straight from a slasher horror film. This weekend at the stores, you can expect plenty of Black Friday-type door busters and [...]
Here’s a roundup of resources for the best deals, along with some perspective, related to the monster shopping day that is Black Friday.
By tradition, Thanksgiving is a day of rest. But while you might have the day off from work, retailers hope that you don’t take the day off as a consumer. As more and more stores are open for business on the holiday—and with online shopping possible 24/7 and special deals for Internet shoppers this Thursday—the [...]
Through Wednesday, November 17 only (and only through 1 p.m. at Macy’s), you can get $10 off when you spend $25 or more at both J.C. Penney and Macy’s (thanks Buxr). While the Macy’s offer is only valid in-store (follow the link to print a coupon), and only through 1 p.m. today, the J.C. Penney [...]
