What part of "We don't price-match that" don't you understand?

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

Had to deal with these suckheads today:

SC: Yeah, I was just over by (big chain hardware/home improvement store) and they have these lawn ornaments for $14.99. (here he shows me the sales label he pilfered from their shelf ). I see you have them for $34.99. You'll match that price, right?

(Yeah, I know. We're ri-cock-u-lously expensive on certain things, but that's because we don't buy them in bulk like the bigger stores do. Deal with it.)

Me: Sorry, but it would have to be an advertised sale price, and you would have to bring in the ad to get the price match.

SC: (whipping out his flyer for big chain hardware/home improvement store). See? Their ad says they have their lawn decorations 20% off. So that means I get it for 20% off of $14.99.

Me: I'll have to check up on that (I called the service desk to find out if we would match that price, and was told we don't match percents off, just specific advertised prices; otherwise the customer will want the percent off the cheaper store's price, like this guy was doing.)

Me: I'm sorry, but we can only match specific prices, not percents off.

SC's wife: That's ridiculous! Your ads always say you'll match advertised prices.

SC: Yup. Let's go talk to the people at the service desk. THEY would know what the policy is.

Yes, of course they would. Which is why I JUST TALKED TO THEM. Have fun getting nowhere with them either. Besides, if you were willing to rip off the other store's shelf label, then why didn't you buy that damn ugly lawn chotchky there instead!?

[BookstoreEscapee]

SC's wife: That's ridiculous! Your ads always say you'll match advertised prices.

Your response: Um, yeah, advertised prices, like I just said...

I never understand that...I can get it cheaper at X store I was just at; so you should give it to me for that price...OK, I sell it to you for the same price, and now you're out the gas it took you to get from there to here...yeah, that makes sense...

[MoonChild2007]

One little question, why do customers go to a store, complain about how high their prices are but then say that whatever store has them more cheaper? I also don't understand why a store has to "match" prices from OTHER competitors when that customer could just go there?

Retail, I will never understand it.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

1. Because they need something to kvetch about.

2. Because the retailers figure it's better for them to accept a small cut in margin, or even a slight loss, and make a sale rather than have the customer go to that other store and buy the item there.

[BookstoreEscapee]

2. Because the retailers figure it's better for them to accept a small cut in margin, or even a slight loss, and make a sale rather than have the customer go to that other store and buy the item there.

It makes sense from the store's perspective, but from the customer's...if you're in a store and you know it's less, just get it! That's one thing I liked about BN; the answer was always No.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

It makes sense from the store's perspective, but from the customer's...if you're in a store and you know it's less, just get it! That's one thing I liked about BN; the answer was always No.

Well, if customers thought logically, there would be no reason for them to swipe shelf labels and bring them to me, now would there?

They probably didn't know it was less at the time, I'm guessing.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Well, if customers thought logically, there would be no reason for them to swipe shelf labels and bring them to me, now would there?

They probably didn't know it was less at the time, I'm guessing.

Maybe not. The whole swiping the shelf label just makes me

[CrazedClerk]

Tell me about it, I hate those loss leaders the big stores do.

For those who don't know, a loss leader is when a company discounts a particular item (say a big DVD on the first day of release) BELOW cost usually for a short period of time while a promotion is on. They do this to lure people to the store to buy that item at the rock bottom price in the hopes they'll buy something else that a profit CAN be made on.

When I was at the games store, we constantly had problems because the big box retailer a few blocks away would discount their games by like $10 on release day as a loss leader. No one could seem to figure out why we couldn't do this too. Well, it's because we ONLY make our money on games, those big guys have other product lines.

[Luna]

I once had a very lengthy arguement with a customer at music store hell over price matching.

The thing that completely baffled me was my store was cheaper than the other store. The competitor store had a DVD for (let's say for arguement's sake) $20.
My store had it for $20 PLUS a $7 mail-in rebate. Even if the customer decided NOT to send in the rebate (cause yeah they suck) it was STILL the same damn price.

She eventually bought it. My brain turned into oatmeal after trying to explain we were cheaper and I gave up after almost 15 minutes. I had to just walk away.

******
I also loved the people who wanted us to price match the big box retailers with their fliers. We did price match - but only on items IN STOCK. If the competitor was out of stock - well, there's nothing for us to price match is there?? This won me oh so many arguements. I don't miss that. No, not at all.

[Killer Bees]

1. Because they need something to kvetch about.

2. Because the retailers figure it's better for them to accept a small cut in margin, or even a slight loss, and make a sale rather than have the customer go to that other store and buy the item there.

I don't get that.

How is it better to take a loss just to have the customer buy something? They're not making any money for the purchase as it is.

And there's no guarantee that the customer will (a) come back and buy something else in the future or (b) come back and buy something more expensive to make up for the loss the store took before

[Bloodsoul]

The logic used by SCs doesn't differ all that much from the logic used by people who run these companies.

[infavorofnaturalselection]

Well some store can afford the loss on one item if they think having said sale will more them make up for it. It actually does if the sale is done on certain shopping days known to attract large crowds. Black Friday for instance.

Plus if an item isn't selling and is taking up shelf space a store will consider it a loss and just mark the sucker down to move it off for some item that will sell more.

As for proclaiming that the other store has the item cheaper, often said store only had the item cheaper during a sale or never in fact had the item at that price. The sc is just trying to pull an age old scam. Sadly certain retail people cave in allowing said scam to propagate.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I don't get that.

How is it better to take a loss just to have the customer buy something? They're not making any money for the purchase as it is.

And there's no guarantee that the customer will (a) come back and buy something else in the future or (b) come back and buy something more expensive to make up for the loss the store took before

Well no, but see above re: loss leaders. They are gambling you will buy something else in addition to your heavily discounted item.

I don't understand it either really. I just have to live with it.

[Auto]

Well no, but see above re: loss leaders. They are gambling you will buy something else in addition to your heavily discounted item.

I don't understand it either really. I just have to live with it.

It's the same reason that convenience stores often sell gallons of milk for far less than any supermarket. You go for the cheap milk, which is in the dairy cse at the back of the store and with luck, you'll also buy a six-pack of beer and some overpriced junk food.

What the store loses on the milk, it more than makes up on the beer and junk food.

[protege]

Plus if an item isn't selling and is taking up shelf space a store will consider it a loss and just mark the sucker down to move it off for some item that will sell more.

That's exactly why I can get older (we're talking older than 20 years here, folks) model kits from a certain hobby shop. Usually, the boxes are beat to hell, covered in dust, although the product inside is undamaged. Shop owner doesn't care...since he just wants them gone; they're taking up space, and preventing him from displaying other, more recent items. Not long ago, he let me have a pair of 1980s Nissan Skyline kits for $5 each