Why I find it hard to buy sale items - YouLookFab Forum

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Why I find it hard to buy sale items

Aziraphale

Veteran

Angie's two recent (March 10) blog posts about budget fashion got me thinking. I sometimes get things from lower end shops like H&M or Old Navy, but I never buy clothes from discount places like Winners (TJ Maxx), and very rarely sale items from department stores or even boutiques. Part of this is because there aren't often things on the sales racks that fit me, but another, even bigger, part is that I can't help but wonder what's wrong with the item if it's on sale, or if it's at a discount store. I know often it's just overstock, and there's nothing wrong with it, but I can't help feeling that an item is somehow better if I paid more for it. I know it's irrational.

Also, I know I'm a doofus, but how do you make a link to one of Angie's blog posts? I know how to post an http:// link, but I don't know how to do internal links.

Shopping

21 replies

Latest reply was from Mo

Mellllls

Veteran

Honestly, the idea that there is something wrong with an item because it is on sale or at a discount has NEVER occurred to me and I am actually much more likely to purchase something from a TJMaxx/Nordstrom Rack or from the sale rack of a retailer than I am from a low-end retailer such as H&M/Old Navy. Interesting. Sometimes, I do try something on at TJMaxx and upon putting it on realize that it is poorly made and think to myself that is why it didn't sell but other than that I have no issue with buying clothes at stores like that.
So, if you buy say a pair of black patent leather pumps at Nine West at the Nine West store for $70, and then I buy the exact same pair 4 months from now at Marshalls for $30, would you then think something is wrong with the pair that you bought 4 months ago?

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Nothing irrational about it Elizabeth. You are totally entitled to feel how you do about sale items and full priced items. Here on YLF we respect each others budget and shopping preferences. Some like to shop for bargains, others prefer to purchase full price. Some shop at thrift stores, Walmart and Goodwill, others like to shop at Burberry, Chanel and Lanvin - and there is everything in between. No one turns their nose up at Target and Walmart; and in the same breath no one is judged for shopping very high end.

Okay. I rambled. Just wanted to set the tone here. And I owe you a blog post

Ornella

(website)

Veteran

When it comes to sales, my mathematical thinking kicks in two-ways: firstly, I get really angry to see how much of a discount still generates a healthy profit, and secondly, I have always thought of the items going on sales as simply the overflow stock that did not get to be sold on full price. This is because I still vividly remember a lesson from the uni when we learnt about optimizing costs and it is in fact a pretty simple calculation - it is more cost-effective to sell the goods even on massive sale, than to pay for the warehousing costs of the unsold goods.

Just wanted to offer another angle

ETA: I love sales for a simple reason there is less to chose from. Sounds crazy maybe, but I sometimes find it overwhelming to go through racks and racks of things. I am rarely sorry if there's no my size, I just think it wasn't meant to be. Having said that, when I do like something I will buy it at the full price simply because I make a call it's not worth losing it by waiting for it to go to sale.

Mellllls

Veteran

There are definitely many reasons to buy things at full price. But that is different than thinking something is wrong with an item because it is on sale. When a retailer determines the 'full price,' they anticipate putting the item on sale later. It's part of their strategy.

Steph

Veteran

Elisabeth, I think I know where you are coming from. When you see the items on sale, it's like you wonder why no one else wanted to buy it. If an item is on sale, it logically follows that it was rejected by others, and if it was rejected by others, you start to wonder if there is something wrong with it. I see this all the time in all facets of life: women who find that once they walk into a bar with a boyfriend the other men around seem far more interested, people looking to adopt from my rescue group who notice a cat has been available for adoption for awhile and ask me what is wrong with the cat that no one else has wanted her, etc.

The way I see it, there can be tons of reasons an item is on sale, like it was overstocked or maybe it was purchased and then returned months later when it was out of season. But sometimes items are on sale because there is something wrong with them--I have seen items where the size was clearly marked wrong, there was damage, etc. And, of course, it could be that the buyer made a poor choice and people just found the item unfashionable. Personally, I love finding items on sale--if I love it and it is discounted, I don't care if no one else wanted it! But I do understand the tendency to think there is something wrong with something that no one else wanted.

taylor

Veteran

The reason items go on sale is to make room for new merchandise...New boxes come in about every 2 weeks and TONS of new merchandise needs to be put on the floor...turn around is very quick...stores like to move product quickly..sale is the best way to move merchandise out...nothing wrong with it
If you see something you want...wait about 2 weeks and you can pick it so much cheaper. The advantage to full price is you are usually guaranteed your size...sometimes that is essential if you are hard to fit.

Elly

Veteran

I never think that about sale items ( Ok, so maybe the really gaudy ones). Actually, if I pick something up on sale and it fits I praise the shopping gods. I often pick up things in stores like Ross and Marshalls because they fit no one else. I am hard enough to fit that it is unlikely that items that would fit me really well would fit other women well unless the particular item is really forgiving. I also love to buy factory rejects with really long sleeves!

Indigo

Member

oh, I am totally for the sale. In fact, it pains me to pay full retail. So tjmaxx all the way

Scarlet

Veteran

I rarely buy things on sale for a few reasons. One is that I often find the sale price clouds my judgement and I end up buying something for a good price that in the end I am not really happy with. Two is that when I wait for sales my size is almost always gone, and in general I only buy things I can't resist and are haunting me, so that I can't bear to miss out. Three is that I enjoy wearing items right away that are new for the season. This makes me feel "fresh". Waiting for things to go on sale means less time to wear them in the right season and not being at the forefront of the fashion curve, although as I get older this is less important to me. Besides all that, I live in Europe now, and up until recently sales in this country were highly regulated and only allowed to take place twice a year. The law has changed, but businesses haven't changed all that much. There is certainly no two week wait for a sale like Taylor mentions above.

Lynne

Veteran

Scarlet, Holland and Denmark are very much like you say - there are set times of the year for the sales, and if you wait until then you are at the end of the season, and the size/colour choice is limitted. Plus it's a pain searching for items as they're all mixed up and in a huge mess! And in Australia, a lot of the stuff in the big sales is brought in for the sales - it is not things that were there at any other time. So you are buying items specifically marketed in this way.

Taylor, I would love to have a two week sales opportunity - but I would spend half my time going back for price adjustments on principle! Sometimes I will wait 2-4 weeks before I get the chance to wear a new item, and seeing it on sale before I had worn it would pain me!

Elisabeth, I too wonder why something is left-over, but I do love it if I find a bargain on something that I love. I have to be careful, though, most of my mistake purchases are made on sale items - if I'm paying full price I tend to make better choices. Rute is very good at sales shopping; she says she makes sure an item is a 10 even if it is discounted.

If I pay full price at the beginning of the season for something that I love and wear, it does not bother me to see it on sale at the end of the season. I know I've had the use and enjoyment of it, and I'm happy that someone else might find their size at a huge discount.

Vix

Veteran

Hi Elisabeth --

I always love to hear about people's buying habits/preferences/biases!

[For instance: My mom is a bargain hunter who can handle random stock, crowded racks etc but will NOT shop thrift/consignment...it freaks her out!]

I kind of get where you are coming from re discounters. Growing up we shopped at Marshalls/TJ Maxx, and back then (cough 25-30 years ago) the clothing was primarily a factory reject -- an "irregular" -- or past season. So I learned to look for holes/marks, weird seaming, shoes/sleeves that were slightly different lengths etc. But truthfully, usually most of what was there was fine or "fine enough!"

Then in the 90s-early 2000s it seemed like the model changed to a much smaller number of quality products mixed in with mostly cheaply-made-for-discounters items. [I noticed this at Nordstrom Rack, as well.]

Nowadays the model is so different...many of the big discounters really are nabbing overstock from department stores so quickly that they are selling simultaneously -- or as Mellllls said, soon enough thereafter that it doesn't matter to someone like me.

My circle of friends/family includes someone who gives us a heads-up when certain categories are due to hit (aka outdoor wear) at various discounters and what brands are especially represented. While certain regions/stores definitely get the pick of the litter, the economy's woes have really improved the stock at the discounters in my area. Ditto for the store outlets.

No need to change your shopping style, of course -- I just throw all that out in case you ever get curious about poking around those types of stores for a bargain.

MsMary

Veteran

This is so interesting! I LOVE to find something on sale, and I get much more of a thrill from buying a sale item than from buying something at a lower-end retailer like Old Navy or H&M. My reasoning is pretty much exactly opposite of yours, elisabeth -- I expect the stuff at the low-end stores to be low quality, but if it's marked down from a higher price, I feel like I am getting something better for the lower price.

HeleenH

Veteran

For me it depends which sale it is. I like to go to a slightly more expensive shop for the big sales, because I can get good quality clothes for lower prices, but I don't like the big special sale at the Bijenkorf (Drie Dwaze Dagen, which translates to 'three foolish days') for which they buy especially, in general it is not their regular stuff on sale, but cheaper goods.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

I rarely buy things from Winners (Our version of TJMaxx) for the same reason. I am very suspicious and wonder why people didn't like it. However, I do find some gems sometimes! Like a fab CK black sheath for $20? Happy for my student budget.

Luckily, I live in a place where most people are rather large. This means that there are only small sizes left when things go on sale - perfect for me. This only works for normal clothes and not dresses. Funny, girls in my sizes like dresses!

April

Veteran

Sometimes it can work in your favor for an item to have something "wrong" with it. For example, if you have a body part that's always hard to fit, an item that didn't work for most people (sleeves too long, hip region too snug, etc.) might be perfect for you.

Sue

Hahaha this is really interesting because I've never actually thought of sales like this!

I get excited whenever I see SALE, better still if I can find something in my size. I never get suspicious of why no one wants it, or if it's defective.. I figure its overstock or something, and even its true no one wants it I think, all the better for me!

But on the flip side, I do agree that at times I get carried away with sale items, buying stuff I don't necessarily need, or tagging an item with more 'value' because its discounted from a high price. I get a thrill seeing $80 on the price tag and knowing I paid only $30!

Case in point. I bought a stylish turtleneck striped top from Zara at 50% discount (I paid about $20). I was very pleased at getting such a great buy! But being completely honest, if I saw that same top in a nondescript shop at say maybe $10, I don't think I'd have bought it.

Point is, sales are great and I think there's really nothing wrong with sale items. But we shouldn't be blinded by the sale or the discount and see an item for itself and what its really worth.

April

Veteran

I've found that Angie's suggestion to ask "Would I have paid full price for this?" has saved me from a number of those dazzled-by-the-discount purchases.

RoseandJoan

Veteran

I'm a budget shopper by necessity, but I find it very hard to shop sales in a bricks and mortar store, it's so much easier online, no crowed racks or jumbled merchandise, just a picture and a parcel at the door.

Aziraphale

Veteran

Wow, I haven't checked the forum in a few days, and there are a lot of replies here! Clearly people have an opinion on this. Thanks for all the comments.

I want to clarify: I absolutely do not turn up my nose at discount stores. It's not like I like to pay a lot for my clothes! It's just that I have this somewhat irrational fear that there is something wrong with an item that is on sale. The reason it's irrational is that I do know the real reasons for putting things on sale, and it's usually not because the item is defective.

Several people mentioned making more mistakes when buying sale items. I wonder if this is part of the reason for my aversion to sales -- I have certainly made lots of mistakes myself over the years with sale items!

Perhaps what some

Isabel

Veteran

Elizabeth, I think it is great that you felt comfortable enough to post about this !!!!! What a great place this is !

I, too, buy most of my stuff at full price. I take a small size, a slight curvature of the spine, and a very long torso. So when I find something off the rack that fits and I can afford it, I don't consider whether or not it is on sale. I feel that if it is a value TO ME, that is all that matters. I also find myself tailoring pieces alot, so if something is on sale, but not quite right, I end up spending money on tailoring.

I really like Scarlet's self-awareness. I had never really thought of that before...but sales do affect our perception of somethings. People get paid a lot of money to figure out how to influence us and that is one of the ways.

Mo

(website)

Veteran

I have lucked out in that many items I have hemmed and hawed on but left behind, I have found later at a discount and then snatched up. This was the case on my Sun. WIW outfit. Maybe the white top draped strangely on others, or they didn't care for the cutaway shoulders? I don't really know. But it fits me well and has not a flaw on it.
I have also made the error of buying what I would not have paid full price for though. A Calvin Klein bikini for $23 had me buying one band size larger than I am. I still wear it but it's truly not the best fit.
I suppose we all shop in our own ways and are willing to pay different amounts for different reasons. I aspire to not let price get in my way! I'm slowly getting better