Just a note…
Today (Wednesday, July 8) is my fifth blogoversary! I didn’t think I’d make it through one year let alone five. I wish I could say I have hundreds, if not thousands, of subscribers, but I remain a teeny tiny blogger. And, that’s OK because I’ve made some really good connections with people all over the world. If I’d never hit publish on that first post, I wouldn’t have grown as much as I have. Thank you to those of you who have been with me from the start. And, thank you to anyone who is brand new to the blog!
Sales…
As y’all know, we’ve just come off a big holiday. And, what do holidays mean these days? Big ol’ sales! So, let’s talk sales. I love a sale. In fact, I sometimes, but not always, will talk myself out of something because I know it will go on sale. There are other times, I just impulsively buy something because I’ve convinced myself it will sell out before it goes on sale (talk about a run-on sentence). Of course, there are the times when I’ve bought something because it’s on sale. It may be something I’ve never even considered before going on sale.
Holiday sales…
I’m not sure about other countries, but here in the States, we seem to have holidays for everything. That means every other month or week or day, there’s a special sale. I remember when the Red Hanger Sale at Talbots was a reeeeaaallly big deal (and, yes, I considered the Red Hanger Sale a holiday). A Canadian friend and I once waited until after midnight her time to see what the prices would be on things we liked. Here’s a hint. The prices didn’t change at midnight…her time or mine! Now, sales happen, at least at Talbots, all the time. You can almost always count on a Sunday night special of $50 off $200 plus additional discounts. Other retailers do it, too. Of course, there are those that don’t. That makes me wonder which companies are more successful. Have y’all ever gotten a Frances Valentine catalog? Oh, my gosh! I swooned over their cardigans…then, I looked at the price. I’m talking a few years ago, and a cute embellished cardigan ran about $350. Now, if I love something and know I’m going to wear it over and over and over again, I’ll fork over that kind of money. But, and it’s a big but, these cardigans were more acrylic than natural fibers. I don’t like acrylic, and I certainly won’t pay hundreds for it.
But, I digress…
Back to the companies that rarely have huge sales vs the ones that seem to have them all the time…I’ve noticed those that don’t have the big sales are the ones with the big price tags. Does that mean their clientele really doesn’t (or would that be don’t) care about price? Or, is it smart marketing, knowing your product will sell because you’re selling not only a high quality item, but also a brand? I honestly don’t know. I’m really just riffing on the idea of sales. But, if anyone has an answer, I’m here to learn. Of course, Quince isn’t a big price tag retailer, and they rarely have sales. I wonder if they don’t have the best idea…a fair price where they still make a profit and prices don’t jump up and fall down. I think, in the few years I’ve been buying from Quince, they’ve only had two special events. One was last year. If you bought two items, you received a $10 credit on your next purchase. The last one was in the last week or so. If you bought something in the app, you got $10 off. I hate apps, and $10 isn’t enough for me to download one!
So, sales…
Recently, I bought two dresses at J Jill. They were pretty new stock so I didn’t figure they would go on sale any time soon. These fell into the category of “I think they’ll sell out soon.” Check out Saturday’s look here for one of them. J Jill’s policy is to do a price adjustment within 14 days which is fair, I think. But, I’m pretty sure you can’t call them anymore and ask for one. That may have changed over the last year or so. I do know they put in a new register system a couple of years ago which prevented you from doing that. But, many people may have complained, and it got changed. I just checked, and it said for a store purchase, the receipt must be present. It then went on to say you could also contact them via email or chat. So, do with that what you will. Anyway, I was about a month out from buying these two dresses. They have been marked down substantially with an additional 40% discount. I could save over $100 if I re-ordered them and returned the two I have. Well, I wouldn’t return the one I have because I’ve worn it, but I could return the one I’d receive if I re-ordered. Did you follow that? Here’s my conundrum. I know brick and mortar stores have goals to meet, and if I return these two dresses, that will impact that goal. Do I want my local J Jill store to stay open? You better believe I do. I may go months without shopping there, but I want to know it’s still there. But, $100 is a lot of money to save.
More sales…
I know most sales associates don’t have any idea about when items will be marked down or big sales are coming up. But, there is a part of me that is a little irked when I buy something one day only to have it get marked down or go on temporary sale a day or so later. I’ve heard that R. H. Macy is the guy responsible for “sales.” But, when I googled it, that daggone AI popped in with all kinds of “information.” So, I don’t know for sure if Macy is to blame for the ups and downs of retail prices. Another pet peeve is when something goes on sale, but you know, just the day before it was even cheaper! Remember my post on stripes and polka dots? That skirt, at the time I published the post was only available in a size 18, but it was over $150! It’s no longer on the website. Trust me, I didn’t pay anywhere near that amount.
Friends and Family sales…
Of course, it helps to be friends with your retailer! I remember back in the day when Banana Republic was a fun place to shop. I would hold my breath just waiting for that F&F Sale!! It was 40% off which is a really big deal for BR. Now, they have been offering 30% off a number of times, but it’s available for just about anyone. Macy’s also does a Friends & Family sale which I love because it’s 15% off beauty! You don’t get that very often on name brand beauty items. That’s when I buy my Jo Malone body creme. It seems like one of those should be popping up pretty soon.
The outfit…
It’s ironic I just mentioned a 30% off sale at Banana Republic! I bought this georgette skirt during one of their 30% off sales earlier this spring. It’s perfectly me! It’s swirly and feminine and just a little bit unique. I can’t find it on the website anymore so I guess I proved one of my points, right? Buy while you can! But, I also noticed a skirt I bought last summer is still listed though sizes are limited. Besides the fabric, I really like the smocked waistline. You can adjust it with the ties at the side. You can see them hanging down in some of the photos. Those ties are nice and yet not. They just hang there and look a bit goofy. I added one of my favorite Luxe textured tanks from Old Navy and a Seaside Cotton Tie Front Cropped Cardigan, also from Old Navy. The funny thing is probably 2-3 years elapsed between the purchase of the tank and the cardigan yet they match perfectly!
The Lewk!
Lately, I’ve been really into matching my accessories and footwear with my outfit. This day was no different. These are my Miz Mooz Shay sandals. I have to tell you they are so comfortable. Some may think they’re a bit on the ugly side, but I love them, all the straps and the molded footbed. I just wish they’d offer them in a cognac color. I’d add them to my collection. I love a layered necklace, and this one is just so versatile. There are some pieces of jewelry I feel like are for a specific season. This necklace is not one of those. That large pendant is a lotus flower, but I’m not sure of the stone. The earrings and necklace are from the museum gift shop. See, I told you I need to stay out of there!
Wrap it up, Marsha!
As you can probably tell, these photos were taken a couple of months ago. I do love a sale, but I have also learned to put something in my cart and wait a bit. If it’s still there in a couple of days, I’ll buy it. But, as y’all know, I love to shop so there are just as many times when I don’t wait. By the way, I’m not re-ordering the dresses. I know J Jill will not sink if I stop shopping there, but I do feel a bit of loyalty to my particular store. So, can we talk? How do you feel about sales? Would you prefer a fixed price that’s reasonable? How would you handle the situation with the two J Jill dresses? Please leave me a comment or two, and we can talk. I promise to respond as quickly as I can.
Thank you!
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Just a reminder that Marsha in the Middle may use an affiliate link. Those links are usually italicized. If you click or make a purchase from an italicized link I provide, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. Thank you for your support. My April Cornell code, MARSHA15, now works, but it’s good for only one use. You can get $15 off $100. I’d wait and use it during a really good sale! Use Marsha12 for 12% off any order of $65 or more at Buykud. I have also become a Halftee Partner. Use the code, MARSHA15, for 20% off any purchase. I am also an affiliate with Clara Sunwoo. You can use my code, MARSHA10, for 10% off your entire order. Use MARSHA15 at Katia Designs for 15% off your order. In case you didn’t know, bloggers must disclose the use of affiliate links. That’s why I include this in each post. I have now have a code for Tulip Clothing. Use the code, MARSHA20, for 20% off your order.
Where you can find me:
Linking up with Nancy’s Fashion Style, Fine-Whatever, Is This Mutton, Shelbee on the Edge, Chez Mireile, Suzy Turner, and Away from the Blue as well as Deb’s World . I also link up with I do deClaire, Mummabstylish, Style Splash and Elegantly Dressed and Stylish as well as the Senior Salon Pit Stop and Slices of Life. Please check out these wonderful ladies and their blogs! I also am a co-host for Ageless Style on the third Thursday of the month and Songful Style on the last Monday of the month as well as the Global Writing Challenge on the second Thursday. I now co-host Fashion Files with Amy at Coffee and Cocktails at the Casa every Tuesday. I co-host Traffic Jam Weekend every Thursday with Melynda, Lisa, Cat, and Rena. I also host 10 on the 10th on the 10th of the month! I do hope you’ll check out all of these blogs and link parties!
It may sound ridiculous, but I don’t think I have ever returned anything. Of course I don’t buy many clothes at all and I usually just buy shoes with which I’m sure about the size (as in my sneakers). Buying clothes has rarely been fun for me, online or in person.
Of course, the word “sales” affects my brain, anyway. I have learned to get much better about it, though, unless I need something. It’s hard to resist beads on sale and even harder to resist a surprise bead mix on sale! I think it’s quite lucky that my bead shop hasn’t had those for a while.
Oh I hated it when people returned items. It lowered my yield. I think it was way better when sales only were 6 weeks in January and Six weeks in June. That still happens in Belgium. Congratulations on your blog anniversary!
What a great blogging achievement. Sales are so frequent these days for some outlets, I am surprised that anyone would pay full price.