BEWARE of Bath and Body Works price/mark-down differences

[keriannhoward]

I'm a manager of a location of a major nationwide retail plus size women's clothing store chain (confuse you enough yet?). Here's what my experience is with sale prices, which I'm pretty positive is going to be exactly like other store's.

Markdown lists are emailed from the home office sometimes days ahead of time and sometimes on the morning of the day that corporate wants them executed.

Quite possibly the cashier/associate doesn't even see the markdown list until it's handed to them to complete the markdowns-they wouldn't know that the item you're buying will be marked down in an hour. Management are the only ones with access to the computers and the pricing information.

Different sizes or colors of the same exact items can be different prices during markdowns. For instance, full price sweaters that are 49.99 can have all the red and yellow sweaters marked down to 34.99 and all other colors remain full price. The home office employs people who do nothing but track sales and analyze that information and decide what isn't selling well and needs to be marked down.

Corporate can decide at any time to end a sale without prior notice to either customers or employees. This happened to me recently when a sale got fabulous results and scared the guys in the suits-we got a surprise email telling us to pull the signage. I had some VERY angry customers over that, but it was out of my hands. I could have given it to them at that price but honestly, I would have gotten in major trouble over it.

Employees don't always agree with their home offices' decisions, BUT they can't always empathize with you publicly. It's not that they're callous, but some people do rely on their $7 an hour job to help support their families.

Different stores WILL have different prices depending on their sell through stats as analyzed by the home office. Most stores will offer 14 day price adjustments (we even have that as an option as a reason when processing a return), just ask.

Please please please remember that the person standing behind the register has most likely been standing for around 4 hours before they get a break to get off their feet. Not only do they ring your purchases, they clean up the mess you make when trying on clothing, makeup, body lotion etc, they most likely have another "project" that they have to do in between dealing with customers such as rearranging product for new promotions. They are are being pressured to sell credit accounts, make sales goals (hardly anyone works on commission anymore, but you do have goals to make or else we as the managers are on 7 am screaming conference calls). Have some mercy on them once in a while.

All that being said, I do really like my job, otherwise I wouldn't be doing it. I don't do it because it's the only job I can get, I do it because I'm great at it and I have fun most of the time.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

I1111111111111111

 

[keriannhoward]

I think most people do respect retail employees and understand they work hard for not a lot of money. My DD worked as a cashier at Hobby Lobby for a couple of years while she was in high school (she said she did not think anyone that worked there made more than minimum wage, while the owner is on Forbes' richest list) and I know how tough she had it. I would never berate an employee for a Corporate decision on pricing, that is why I thanked the CS employee profusely for not putting the landscape lights I returned back into the store's inventory, but instead asked me if I would like them at her store's price. I understand the flow of inventory problem, especially for smaller stores, but it does confuse customers when prices at one store are significantly different than the same store 5 miles away.

Sharon

Believe me I do understand the frustration with the pricing issues. My company has a website which carries some different styles than are carried in the store, when customers come in wanting something they saw on the website but that won't be offered in the stores, all I can offer is a free shipping coupon.

To confuse things even more, my company used to be owned by The Limited. So, we take Express credit cards even though we're not affiliated with them anymore. We also take credit cards from a catalog that still carries our name, even though we are totally a separate company. We have 2 other chains/brands that are owned by our current corporation and are our "sister" shops but we don't take their credit cards! You can be approved for a card at one store but not at the other. We get our employee discount at those other 2 stores with different names, but not on the website that carries our own name. It's confusing for associates as well.

Also, stores in different parts of the country will have different sales and even different stock. I have a "Hot Zone" store, so people that have family up north would come in looking for something their relative wanted, but we didn't carry it because of our location.

 

[jultomzach]

I have three Wal-Marts within 15 miles of my house. They have different "everyday" prices on MANY items. For instance, the same pack of Huggies diapers are 3 different prices at the stores and clearance sales can differ from store to store also. Want an interesting topic....How much does a McDonald's Happy Meal cost where you live? My area can range from $2.99 to $3.79. How much is a Happy Meal at the onsite McDonalds? Do you find that confusing? I don't but I do find it interesting!

 

[jultomzach]

opps, should have mentioned that I am talking about a Hamburger Happy Meal. (Sometimes the cheese Happy Meals are 80 cents more, go figure!)

 

[mjbaby]

Karen, think you for reiterating my point: corporate stores with different pricing systems are confusing for customers.

The things is, on the one hand the pricing is *supposed* to confuse you (at least sort of). All kinds of goods are priced as to what the local market will bear - that is, what any individual member of a given target market is willing to pay. It's really that simple. Marketing demographics and psychographics are sliced and diced to that it's pretty easy to price a good or service to within pennies of what any given person will pay for it. There's a reason that The Grocery Game is called a "game" - successful bargain shoppers are beating stores at their own game. Sometimes stores will regroup and then a whole new bunch of strategies will emerge for getting those bargains.

Another factor to consider is that each individual town, township, municipality, etc. has it's own rules for how taxes are handled and these issues affect pricing just as much as they do in California or Hawaii. I'm sure that most of us living in lower-cost areas wouldn't appreciate paying NYC, CA or island prices for our stuff just to be "fair" or "non-confusing" and the same goes of local shopping areas. The township I live in has a business privilege tax and is the only one that does so, and in addition the township straddles two separate counties each with their own tax rates and types. So a store in one end of the township faces very different cost overheads than a store at the other end of town - not to mention that real estate costs are very different at the two ends of the township (one area is much more affluent but development is more controlled and so rent is much more expensive - I realize this is another whole can of worms). Should folks in the lower income area pay the higher prices of the higher income area that's six miles away so as to not be "confusing" when the market could allow them to pay less?

Finally, as so many have pointed out, retail employees are hardly in the business of remembering and serving each individual person and making sure they pay the lowest possible price on whatever it is they want. Actually, Nordstrom does a really good job at this (I *love* being remembered by my favorite Nordstrom shoe saleswoman - I bring her muffins in the mornings sometimes and she sends me b-day cards, it's a beautiful relationship) but you're sure not going to get bargains out of it. That kind of service costs.

 

[crisi]

I'm going to agree with the OP on this one. I too think that corporate stores should have the same pricing everywhere. I work retail, and the way our corporate works is that if clearance sells well one place but regular price stuff sells well at another place, we'll ship our clearance to where it sells and not bother with the cheap stuff at stores where they know reg priced stuff will sell. My store, for example sells tons of clearance stuff and has a large area for it- and another I visited in NY has no clearance at all and sells a lot more big $$ stuff. However, if I were to call up the store in NY and ask them to send a customer a non-clearance v neck sweater in green style XXX, it will be the SAME price.

I didn't realize that all stores didn't work this way- have blanket prices that is. I too went around to about 5 different B&BW stores and found all kinds of stuff at weird prices.

I'm not saying it's wrong of them, I'm just saying it's confusing to the customer. A lot of their stuff online was 75% off while stuff in the stores was only 40% off. It's frustrating.

They've obviously found that they make a higher profit doing it this way, so this is the way they do it.

From a customer's point of view, sure. But from a shareholders point of view - its profit. And margins are really difficult in retail, you need to find the right product mix with the right margins. Retail doesn't have a lot of margin left - when they are selling you something at 90% off, they aren't covering their costs (on most things - there are a few exceptions). If you are going to take a loss on something as a company, you need to take the smallest loss you can - because greater losses are going to need to be made up in higher prices somewhere else - and as a customer, you don't want that!

Supply and demand are what sell pricing. If I have a lot of it in the warehouse, I can sell it for 75% - I don't have the distribution costs associated with getting it to my retail stores (and I'm probably going to charge you S&H - or write that off as marketing cost). And I have a lot of it to move. If I have four of them in my retail store, I'm pretty sure at least two of them will move in a week at 40% off, then I can do a further reduction - and I know I won't need that space on the rack for another three weeks - where another store might have seven of them and need to get them all moved before the next shipment in three weeks.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

For one thing that is certain---different stores can fluctuate sales as necessary to clear the floor of out of season inventory.

They marked the bears down after you left--b/c as you said you were there just before closing. I would have been peeved--but it isn't illegal..it's not bait and switch...it's not anything.

I don't really see what there is anything to BEWARE of.

People post on here all the time about the Target sales--start dates are usually the same of general sales...but markdowns tend to come at different rates. Depends on how much they have to move and how quickly they are moving it. IF it isn't moving fast enough---the additional discounts come much more quickly.

 

[KarenAylwood]

From a customer's point of view, sure. But from a shareholders point of view - its profit. And margins are really difficult in retail, you need to find the right product mix with the right margins. Retail doesn't have a lot of margin left - when they are selling you something at 90% off, they aren't covering their costs (on most things - there are a few exceptions). If you are going to take a loss on something as a company, you need to take the smallest loss you can - because greater losses are going to need to be made up in higher prices somewhere else - and as a customer, you don't want that!

Supply and demand are what sell pricing. If I have a lot of it in the warehouse, I can sell it for 75% - I don't have the distribution costs associated with getting it to my retail stores (and I'm probably going to charge you S&H - or write that off as marketing cost). And I have a lot of it to move. If I have four of them in my retail store, I'm pretty sure at least two of them will move in a week at 40% off, then I can do a further reduction - and I know I won't need that space on the rack for another three weeks - where another store might have seven of them and need to get them all moved before the next shipment in three weeks.

Umm... I guess I'll say "thanks for the explanation" but I essentially said, yeah it's frustrating to the customer but they've found that they make a higher profit this way than with blanket prices so that's how they do it. It's not that I don't "get" the explanation, I was just saying that I agree w/ the OP that it's frustrating.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

I understand: a) inventory control is a demographic/supply & demand driven situation, b) employees have no input in those corporate decisions, and c) different locations would have different overhead expenses.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I guess I just don't get it.

I would guess they are assuming that their target customer is going to be comparison shopping between their stores. (I don't mean "Target" the store).

 

[KarenAylwood]

I understand: a) inventory control is a demographic/supply & demand driven situation, b) employees have no input in those corporate decisions, and c) different locations would have different overhead expenses.

However, my points were: 1) at the time I made my purchases, I did not know Targets w/in 5 miles of each other would have different prices, and considered that "confusing", and 2) I believed the employee that permitted me to re-purchase the lights at her store's price was customer friendly and I profusely thanked her for her offer.

This is the Budget Board and I understand there are some EXTREMELY savvy shoppers here with lots of knowledge on how comparison shopping and marketing decisions work, but many (I might even be so bold as to say, most) shoppers do not know these things; consequently, my statement that this is "confusing". Please note, I never said it was WRONG, IMMORAL, or DISPARATE TREATMENT by corporate America to the uninformed shopper, merely (here is that word again) confusing. I understand the tone of statements on the internet are perceived (sometimes) to be much more harsh than the poster meant, but I was just making my statements. As noted, I understand a), b) and c), but I just wanted to state 1) and 2) in response to the OP's B&BW's up and down prices, including her original experience. That is all. Sorry I explained myself so poorly.

Sharon

That's some bear!




Sorry. Just had to say it.

I think that some people are just quick to argue (for instance I stated above that the reason they do it is because they profit from it and someone quoted me and said the same thing like I had said something different ). I agree, it's confusing and I think it should lie at that. I don't think you didn't explain yourself clearly (double negative but you get what I mean).

Stores have policies and practices to make a profit that customers often are not aware of. I personally found this thread helpful because NOW I KNOW that B&BW and Target both have these policies. You learn something new everyday and this was helpful to me.

I kind of think it should rest at that. We know why they do it, and that they do it, and that sometimes you'll find a nice employee that will help you out and... that's about the end of it.

 

[DisneyMomOK]

amen!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[nbodyhome]

I don't expect stores to tell me they are about to mark anything down. And if I buy something and it gets marked down later, I don't bring it back. I figure that the price I paid is the price I agreed to (and if it wasn't a reasonable price, I'd not have picked it up).

Denise

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Stores have policies and practices to make a profit that customers often are not aware of. I personally found this thread helpful because NOW I KNOW that B&BW and Target both have these policies. You learn something new everyday and this was helpful to me.

Grocery stores have it as well.

What may be on special at one store, will not be at another store.

What one store may have put in the mark down cart--the other may still have on the shelf.

I think you will find it happens at many places.

 

[Buckleigh]

I like cookies, too.

Buck

 

[Dznypal]

putting up sale signs not by the product that is one sale--

kamrt a few weeks ago 3 shelves of kitty litter all the shelves were 30 lbs yet the signs on all 3 shelves were for 21 for 7.99 (yet they had no 21 lb box) I took the manager back and she argreed the signs shouldnt have been put up that way--paid 7.99 for 30 lbs!

right after Christmas storage bins 3/11.00 they rang up 4.99 clerk said there are different manufacturers well the sale sign was haning right in the middle of a big stack of bins she rang it up at 3/11 kmart also has signs up that if an item rings up wrong you get $3 back--my DH hates it when I make an issue out of it (the store should just give you the $3 since after all that is there policy the clerks act as if the money is coming out of there pockets ) so I went back the next day without DH and got my $3

the last one was at walmart--disney popcorn tin there was a big display 4.50 some were smaller but had a puzzle (like my disney one) got home and it rang up 7.88 the CM clerk was a real jerk so I asked for manager he asked what I thought would be a satisfactory end and I just said the difference. he thought that was good while we were waiting he said he was just refund the whole price of the popcorn he was very nice--

I sometimes feel like Im just out to get anything I can out of a store but im tired of getting charged to much and stores just throwing signs on anything close to the sale item

ok I feel better now

thanks for listening

 

[Lorikr65]

Why would someone have a problem with another getting a bargain?? Personally, if I had gone back to the store and saw they were marked down more I would have whipped out my receipt and got a price adjustment. Why wouldn't you? I paid $50 for the disney mix sticks - 3 weeks later I saw here that they were marked down. I went to the store, the girl ran the number through the computer and saw they were $35. She told me I would have to bring them back in the packaging (which I always keep for a few months) and should could return them and I could buy them back. Why wouldn't I? I just recently got a part-time job but prior to that was a SAHM - why wouldn't I want to save as much as I can? I don't think someone deserves a lecture because they are trying to save money. Oh well, hope everyone gets a bargain!!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Why would someone have a problem with another getting a bargain?? Personally, if I had gone back to the store and saw they were marked down more I would have whipped out my receipt and got a price adjustment. Why wouldn't you? I paid $50 for the disney mix sticks - 3 weeks later I saw here that they were marked down. I went to the store, the girl ran the number through the computer and saw they were $35. She told me I would have to bring them back in the packaging (which I always keep for a few months) and should could return them and I could buy them back. Why wouldn't I? I just recently got a part-time job but prior to that was a SAHM - why wouldn't I want to save as much as I can? I don't think someone deserves a lecture because they are trying to save money. Oh well, hope everyone gets a bargain!!

I don't think that is an issue and I have gotten price adjustments myself.

But issuing a warning about it as if to imply the stores are out to get you--I just don't see the retail vendetta (sp?).


Dznypal--I too have gotten price reductions for that. Not trying to on purpose mind you. But did pick up a product believing the sign to be the right price and it was for something completely different ELSEWHERE in the store.

 

[Piecey]

Just in reponse to someone talking about Aero sweaters--
my mom works at JCPenny's.
I'm used to her coming home and telling me what she marked down that day, if it's anything I might be interested in (me, the poor college student!)...

Well today she came home and told me about everything she marked UP!
How it took forever because she had to take all the clearance stickers off and put regular price stickers on them...

I thought that was crazy!