Time for my bi-annual trip to the mall. Here are some of the subtle and not-so-subtle techniques sales people used to get me to buy things. Some worked, and some did not.
Bath and Body Works - I ran out of those fancy hand soaps and had to go stock up. The last time I stocked up was during a Black Friday sale in 2006. Hand soaps were 3 for $10 and I took the bait and snatched up $30 worth. As I went to check out, the perky sales associate handed me a little post card to remind me about their Summer Clearance Sale in 11 days. Hand soap will then go for five for $15 or seven for $20. I'll be back. Sales Tactic: SUCCESSFUL
See's Candies - Jonah wanted mint patties and Isaac wanted a butterscotch lollipop. It's their reward for being really good boys in the mall. And they are the BEST boys in the mall. See's Candies hands out free samples. Guess what our free sample was today? Mint patties. So, essentially I could have just bought the lollipop for 55 cents and been done, but I felt guilted into spending a little more money since I got the free sample, so I treated myself to a couple truffles. Sales tactic: SUCCESSFUL
Janie and Jack - Maybe it's because I never had a baby girl that I feel the need to buy the cutest girl clothes I can find when ever I have to buy a special baby gift. And the cutest baby girl clothes are most definitely found at Janie and Jack. Yes, they are overpriced, but I usually stick to the sale stuff in the back which is slightly less over priced. (Still not falling for the $20 pair of size 0 baby shoes, even though they are the cutest little espadrilles ever.)
The sales associate was pleasant, even though she could tell I was cheap. I didn't even slow down on my way to the racks in the back. I mentioned that I'd prefer to buy a 3-6 month size and the sales gal says, "Our clothes are really generous. Even though it says 0-3 months, it will fit well beyond that age."
Then I say, "Well, this dress in 0-3 is darling, but I can only find the matching onesie in 3-6."
Without missing a beat, the sales gal says, "It's always good to buy those onesies a little big. I'd even go as high as 6-9 for the onesie."
So, let me get this right: I should buy the dress too small and the onesie too big?
Sales tactic UNSUCCESSFUL, and I selected a sun dress that didn't require a onesie, the matching hat, but not the $20 shoes.
3 comments:
LIES! That's what the J&J lady was full of! Take it from me, a frequent buyer of J&J merchandise. Their stuff runs small and does not fit forever. Gymboree stuff is slightly bigger than J&J and seemed to last a little longer on Hazel. While the J&J is really truer in size, making the clothes fit just right, which I liked, they did not last as long. Way to go on not buying into her tactic. As I was reading I was getting very nervous for you hoping you didn't buy the wrong sized stuff. Good for you!
What a smart shopper you are. Those sales tactics remind me of the Mary Kay ladies that hold "facials" i.e., let me show all of these creams and types of makeup that everyone NEEDS to have that do things to your face you never thought it needed (a lip buffer, under eye cream for the night and the morning, three types of eye shadow, eye primer, and, and, and). Mary Kay parties are the absolute worst!
I hate going to the regular mall (I can't even think of the last time I went), but we have a huge outlet mall less than 5 minutes from my house, so we go there all of the time.
I guess I'm spoiled on the Bath & Body Works soaps because we have an outlet store. My mother in law was just here visiting and they had them on sale for $1.99/each and an additional 10% off. I think she bought 12 and had to reconfigure her suitcase just to fit them all in!
We don't have See's candies, though, and I miss that! My mother in law sends it to us and I think it always within the first day!
I loved the Janie & Jack story. I was at Gymboree this weekend and they tried a similar tactic, and I didn't buy into it (I bought plenty of other stuff, though...I just can't help myself in that store!)
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