Crazy LOFT pricing deals ( rant + spoof) - YouLookFab Forum

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Crazy LOFT pricing deals ( rant + spoof)

unfrumped

Veteran

While realizing that LOFT is not the best source for high- quality business wear, I've still found a few pieces that work for me and I felt I was seeing either a bit of better quality than in the past or maybe some more me- friendly styles ( dress length, drape) and this year, colors.

I thought I was inured to all of the ever- changing. AT - like promotions, but, really!
When I bought something recently, I was given " coupons" for $25 off $50 Of full - price item BUT not until Sept 23.
Then a couple of items went to 30% off right now. Hmmmm, use calculator...
THEN while trying to exercise patience and frugality, an item has sold out online.
You need an astrological chart to tell what to do of just buy each item when you first see it and don't look back. Not sure about LOFT , but AT would not price - adjust for any of their " 40% off" runs because it was a" promotional" price, not a SALE. Still it's hard not to feel duped.
I so loved Alaskagirl's spoof on Marie Kondo. So I'm thinking:
" This sweater is 30% off now but only if the moon is full at the time of purchase. If the sweater is blue, so should be the moon. All pants will be included if this is the Year of the Pig and that is the year in which you were born."
And so on. Someone else could likely do better parody.

Thank you for " listening".

General

14 replies

Latest reply was from unfrumped

Anonymous

I understand EXACTLY what you are saying and I commiserate. Here is the thing. I get so tired of those marketing strategies. It makes me want to avoid it all together and shop elsewhere.

I used to work in a building that was directly across the street from a Talbots so I used to go to Talbots quite regularly on my lunch break. I shopped all the sales and was usually really happy with what I bought. Then something happened. Every single time I or my friends bought something it was guaranteed to be cheaper the next day or the next week. Because the store was right across the street, we could get the extra discount, but it really soured me on Talbots. I got so that I never wanted to buy anything because it would be cheaper the next week. Then I didn't want to buy it the next week because it would be still cheaper the next week. Finally, I just never bought anything. I eventually stopped going there all together. It has been a few years since I bought anything from Talbots .... all because of their ridiculous marketing strategy.

shiny

Veteran

I always ask myself "would I buy this if it was full price?" Because I have made way too many mistakes due to sales goggles. If I answer yes, then I ignore whether it's on sale or not. If I get a sale, great, if I don't, it doesn't matter since the item is worth it to me at full price. I also don't allow myself any regret if it later goes on sale. (Usually by then my size is gone anyway).

I really try hard not to fall into the trap of playing the sales-stalking, coupon-ing, discounting game/ gamble as -- *for me* -- it becomes addictive and the sale ends up being the dopamine payoff, rather than the actual clothes. Despite knowing all the tricks marketers play, I can still fall prey to them myself, so having a rule like this -- "would you pay full price for this?" -- helps me.

I did buy some stuff at LOFT recently during a sale, but that was incidental. I happened to need jeans, and there just happened to be a sale that day. If there hadn't been a sale, I'd still have bought the jeans full price.

LOFT gives you those "use later" coupons and it's a way to get you back in the store again to buy items that are now on sale. Every time you go in the store, they figure you'll buy something, and yes, that's true for me. So I rarely, if ever, use those coupons because I figure that I got what I wanted the first time I went in the store so why would I need to go back. Anything on the sale rack is what I already passed up the first time.

You might say "well, you are lucky you can do that but I can't because I'm on a budget." I would say that overall I spend more smartly this way because I make less costly mistakes.

Thistle

Veteran

I agree!!! I feel like the constant 40% off of fresh in merchandise means that this is the "real" price. It's not actually a sale until it's below that, because hey, it'll come around again. If I pay more than 60% of the full price, I've paid too much.

I feel like this towards a lot of retailers these days. GAP, Loft, BR, and yes, even Talbot's. They're currently running 25% off. But they regularly do a get 40% off one item promotion with the rest 35% off. I know this because I shop there a lot.

Any store you frequent, you start to get the ebb and flow of their marketing "strategy".

Personally, I prefer places like LL Bean. The run 10% off purchases a few times a year, but otherwise, no real sales until end of season. Their regular prices are in line with othe place's sale prices.

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

So true, unfrumped. It's frustrating to buy something, knowing it will be marked down drastically sometime soon, but who knows exactly when. I bought two pairs of pants at Loft this week, and I ended up opening a charge card with them to get some percentage off because they were full price. And there was an extra discount because it was "first Tuesday of the month"! Hmmm, next time, it will be full moon discount, I guess.

I went ahead and opened the credit account when the sales person said I could pay off the bill right there at the register using my debit card. I don't usually do extra credit cards. I have one and that's plenty to keep track of!

eta: This was a case where I figured the pants were a decent price, and I didn't want to wait for a sale. I wore the navy ones yesterday to work.

Essential Skinny Ankle Pants in Julie Fit

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unfrumped

Veteran

Shiny, I am trying to shop smart as for anything, but I agree, overall I've done a better combustion of buy now + some sales to reduce sale mentality.
The " get you back in the store" is an issue for real because you end up checking back for price and then size may be gone, then check online, and it never ends. Meanwhile have not had the item at home to fully explore whether it works with wardrobe as planned, or not.

Mostly I have just felt "guilty" for unclear reasons, just part of the whole sales mentality still I guess. I paid full price for that coat, so as to NOT go through sale- watching misery, and yet I know a lot of people will get that cost eventually for $50 less, or whatever. What Sterling said--
The types of things I should be buying AT LOFT are same as anywhere-something that speaks to me and fits well and ADDS some value to wardrobe---whether completes capsules, lets me try a style shift, is a HEWI, is a good basic- the same as anywhere.
So I'm getting my good YLF psychotherapy, which helps- thank you!
Plus I wanted to play with spoofing!

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

I have an alternative perspective - probably because I was a fashion buyer for many years - and don't think that there is a problem with price discrimination.

Retailers want to sell their stuff at the highest price - and we want to buy it for the cheapest price. It's a game. Sometimes we win, sometimes we don't. Personally, I think it's best to relax into it. What you lose on the swings, you gain on the roundabouts - whether it's in terms of time or enjoying your piece for longer. I believe that it all works out evenly in the end.

Furthermore, we are VERY spoiled and lucky in the US. Nowhere in the world do retailers offer CONSTANT price breaks and discounts. Our Euro and Canadian sisters are crying. Price discrimination is a good thing.

Anonymous

Shiny -- I tried your strategy of asking myself "would I buy this at full price?" Ninety percent of the time, the answer is a solid "no." Sadly, I have very much fallen prey to the "stalking" mentality.

I found myself at the Talbots at least once a week when I worked across the street from the store. It was impossible for me to not check sale prices. It was exhausting. I had to stop going into that store all together to break the cycle. I try hard to avoid getting caught up in it at other stores, but I still fall prey to it. For example, I bought four items during NAS and ALL four times were cheaper in late August. Nordstroms kindly adjusted the price on two of the four items. The reason that only two were adjusted was because my size and color were still available.

I also agree with Thistle's comment about the constant forty percent off sales. I have come to believe, like Thistle, that the real (full price) cost of that item is actually the forty percent off price. So I don't even consider those to be sales anymore.

unfrumped

Veteran

Sterling, I agree about the " real" prince which is why it feels like being a chump. That for me is true of BR as well. The product reviews reinforce that--" this is a great item but of course not worth the full price. SO glad I bought it on sale. "

Then very high- quality items may have VERY high prices and sometimes due the designer name or boutique distribution.
But then at some point, nothing is " worth that"! Which can be good for the wallet, I guess!
I think that it helps to realize with fashion, you're always paying for a feeling to a great extent, and not just covering oneself, so you budget for that, whether it's the way Burberry quality and style makes someone feel, or the perfect color to wear now, and so on.

Colette

Veteran

All those marketing strategies are so frustrating to me too. I used to be lured by all the sales (love that term sales goggles) but I stopped because shopping that way is one of the things I've identified that creates stress, confusion and wasted money for me. I am really trying to shop from my list, scrutinize everything, and only if the item is perfect I pounce.

However, if I happen to be shopping at a retailer notorious for their sales, I may hold off to take advantage of a sale, because it is easy to do online. But I stopped worrying about whether or not next week I'd save more and I am realizing that I am happier with my purchases.

Anonymous

I enjoyed your 'full moon' spoof, Unfrumped! like all good satire it's just a step from possibility. And count me a sister in frustration in this. Sterling and Colette's comments resonate with me because I *hate* to feel manipulated. I definitely take my business elsewhere when a retailer -- or any company -- does this. Angie makes a good point, we are spoiled over here. But I'm not sure I wasn't happier shopping in Europe where at least you knew where you stood: I bought the things I had any FOMO about at full price and took my chances with anything I was willing to wait for twice-yearly sales on ; they were my 'nice to have' items and the full-price pieces were my essentials. It forced me to wardrobe plan and make good decisions. I think that, sadly, countries like the UK seem to be moving more to a US model with the influx of US chains.

The idea that strategic marketers think they can get inside my brain and control my behaviour frankly disgusts me. Giving the person next to me a discount because s/he played into the marketing hype and showed up on the right day when I came back a week late isn't going to bring me into a store regularly. It also doesn't show much self-respect: these stores are basically saying, "we know we pretty much have the same merchandise as everybody else."

Why not reward customers for loyalty instead? Rather than: "oh you were randomly here last week and came back just to get this week's discount", how about "hey, I see you've been shopping with us for 10 years and we'd like to show our gratitude"? My mobile carrier did this to me recently and it's one reason I stay with them--I feel appreciated as a customer. It's also why I have a lot of loyalty to Nordstrom.

unfrumped

Veteran

Alikna- loyalty. Exactly. Instead of Trump the Chump.
Not sir bonus points are not just more manipulation but something like Rewards points appeals to me.
Such as if those $25 coupons were goid on ANTHING and also not this urgent time span.

annagybe

(website)

Veteran

JCPenney tried to get away from all the coupons and rewards system. It tanked completely. Their customers loved that system, so they went back to it. When I was shopping there a while back, I could tell the customers who knew and worked the system. I was impressed, but it was too much for me as an occasional shopper.

Elly

Veteran

I'm coming at this from a perspective where AT, LOFT, BR, GAP, etc. are just out of my price range when at full-price ($40 to $60 for a nice natural fiber blouse I can do-- $90 is really pushing it) so I'm really glad that those retailers do offer so many discount offers. Since I shop online, it is less tiresome for me than most. That said, sometimes I think their is a really high markup on some things BECAUSE the retailers are expecting to need to be able to still afford to sell it at 40% off. Nordstrom has fallen more into this, and so have a lot of other major department stores-- the sales cycles. I find that more frustrating because they are less frequent and less predictable and I never used to have items I purchased at Nordies go on sale and then return to a higher price (except NAS). I wish JCrew would have a bit better discounts on returnable merch.

Mostly I'm greatful that retailers do offer discounts, though. Otherwise I'd be stuck shopping at a much lower price and quality point.

unfrumped

Veteran

Elly, I agree and despite my rant, I factored it into my budget.
For example, pencil skirts are all about fit to me, and since I don't have to wear matched suits, I can make use of somewhat random skirts as long as in color palette and good fit. AT skirts tended to fit better than many higher-priced brands, So if I could get an AT skirt on sale for $45 , I could think of that as allowing more of a splurge on shoes or something.