'Is an army of savvy consumers killing off retail therapy?' blog discussion

Former_MSE_Penelope

This is the discussion to link on the back of Martin's blog. Please read the blog first, as this discussion follows it.

Read Martin's "Is an army of savvy consumers killing off retail therapy?" Blog.

Please click reply to discuss below.

Tigsteroonie

raising an army of mini-Martin Lewises

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Is that what we are?

kezbabybabe

I like that reference, some are more so than others!

Power to the people at long last!

horsechestnut

I have always shopped like this.:D Does this mean that I am now fashionable?:rotfl:
The only reason that I would go "window shopping" would be to check prices so that I could get a good deal.:T

Gemmzie

Doesn't that mean that an item at full price of £50 previously will now be priced at nearer £100 to ensure profit for the retailer?

A retail store where I used to work, any reduction over 65% and the item was selling at a loss.

mmillie

I wonder how many web sites have jacked their after delivery prices up by 10% and put easy to find 10% off vouchers out on the web?

Martin

ceridwen

Hmmm....well there are certainly retailers who charge "way over the odds" - and I am thinking right now of a major High Street chain that charged me more than twice as much as an item was really worth one time.....(clue: their name bears some relationship to an item of clothing....).

On the other hand - having said that - there is "savvy" and there is "cheapskate". Cheapskate shoppers are one of the banes of my life - as cheapskates' only consideration about goods and services bought seems to be the price. I then go out shopping for the good-quality goods and services I myself require (thinking to myself "you get what you pay for and I intend to pay for quality") and I find it difficult often to get good-quality goods and services in some respects. This is because many retailers only cater for the "cheapskates" - so people like me tend to get left out in the cold sometimes at finding the goods we ourselves require.

Personally - I think there are pretty much two levels of shoppers catered for - ie Primark and Harrods in effect. I'm not Primark - and I certainly cant afford Harrods. BUT I do want to buy something good-quality and am prepared to accept paying rather more than Primark-type shops charge in order to get the quality I want.

rictus123

Lyle and Scott 70% off speaks for itself.

lynnexxxo

ceridwen wrote: »

.

Personally - I think there are pretty much two levels of shoppers catered for - ie Primark and Harrods in effect. I'm not Primark - and I certainly cant afford Harrods. BUT I do want to buy something good-quality and am prepared to accept paying rather more than Primark-type shops charge in order to get the quality I want.

I'm a wait till Harrods are having a sale shopper I want quality at a cheap (ish) price, not cheap stuff at a cheap price!

Rafter

As a nation we aren't great at haggling and everyone likes a bargain - hence the proliferation of extreme sales.

Based on a poor Christmas performance by Asda (everyday low price) and a good performance by Morrisons (buy one get two free) it seems that we all like a good promotion - even if the goods are priced up before the sale to exagerate the discount.

Personally I'd prefer to pay a fair price all the time and buy what I want where I want based on quality and service. So I prefer shopping at John Lewis rather than other retailers where I'm never really sure whether I'm getting a reasonable deal.

What I do think we need is a tightening of the rules about sales and some of the rules used elsewhere in the world. So a buy one get one free is a 50% off deal and you only need to buy one to qualify (they have this rule in the USA and Canada and it seems to reduce food waste). As for 'artificial' discounts on wine, clothing and other products that are priced up dramatically in a few stores only to be discounted further, I'm not sure what can be done.

R.

SweatPea_2

What is in it for GAP, for instance, to have a sale if their customers have bought enough of their stock already?

A sale only benefits them when the products remain on their hands.