Last sale of the year… what does that REALLY mean? Is it the end all, do all bargain of the holiday shopping season? Miss out on this and your wallet will suffer? You may never get a deal like this again? It’s not so simple for a well known, upscale men’s clothing chain!
My husband heard the buy one, get one free ad on the radio for one of his favorite stores and couldn’t wait to meet me there after work. After all, the sale was for one day only and he didn’t want to miss out. He had been wanting new sweaters and this was perfect timing! Evidently it was for most of Louisville as well. The store was packed with eager shoppers hunting down the bargains of the year! The Associates couldn’t keep up with demand and there was a long line at the check out counter. The sale was a huge success!
And bargains we found! Beautiful wool and cashmere sweaters in just the styles my husband enjoys wearing. There were so many he liked, it was difficult to narrow down the selections but eventually he did, and he smiled all the way home as he thought about the great deal he got. He smiled the next morning too, until he saw a new commercial for the same store on the television… Buy one, get TWO free! What happened to the last sale of the year? Had he known of this even better sale, he could have gone the next day and gotten ALL the sweaters he wanted, for the same price he’d paid the day before. He felt cheated and lied to, disappointed that the deal he made was not truly the best of the season. It has caused a serious credibility problem for this clothier.
What responsibility does a company have in regards to their advertising? Should a one day, last sale of the year truly be that… the LAST sale of the year? Customer Service is especially important in this economy and I’m finding it hard to believe that this company hasn’t experienced some backlash from the deception. Shoppers are becoming even more savvy as they learn to stretch their dollars. They need to feel confident that they are getting the absolute best deal on every purchase. Some day the economy will be robust again, consumer confidence will rise and dollars will be flowing, but will this company survive to see that day or will they be a casualty of their own shortsightedness?
Tell us what you think. Do you have similar stories of deception by retailers? Be sure to post them here… we’d love to hear them!
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