Sales: An invitation or an Announcement

The invitation

Anyone else ever feel like a super hero with special powers when they go shopping? I do but it's not what you think, it seems as though my everyone at my disposal powers when I need them have an opposite effect on everyone else around me. I see sales as an invitation to a party but to some sales are a announcement of a optional activity to attend or not. Once you read of my experience let me know what you think, invitation or announcement? Not sure if anyone else has noticed this and it seems the smaller the store the more that this happens. There's this weird phenomenon of my super powers or lack there of you be the judge. 

 

I go out to pick up a few things and usually there is a reason I am going to a particular store because they asked me to. You know those ads they put in the paper, that was my invitation to the party. I mean they must really want to see me the went through all of this trouble and made fancy sales paper with loads of jaw dropping ok maybe not jaw dropping sales but they know me they threw in a couple of buy one get one free's, a 10 for 10 and my all time favorite cheap detergent on sale. What do you know I can always use detergent. That brings me to a question where does the detergent go? Is there a detergent fairy stealing it, it seems like since we have had a washing machine there is more laundry going on than ever before. Back when we would go to the Laundromat I do not remember going this many times? The bar was set high to even qualify for a laundromat trip. Are you completely out of everyday clothes? What about your your dress clothes? Now the bar is so low if I sneeze in the vicinity of something its going to take a trip down sanitation lane. 

 

So the stores has sent out their invitation for you to come to their party and made it hard not to go since they have included party favors that you like, so you are off. The anticipation of a great sale is flowing through your veins, no matter the transportation you took; bus car or taxi you are getting there. It's also a sunny day wow everyone is coming together to make this a great day. As you drive down the street everyone has secretly gotten the memo and here's where everything goes down sour. Clouds form in the sky and they almost seem to follow me to the store. Nature you aren't going to win this time, I was prepared for you even though the weather report didn't say anything about rain not even a chance of rain. Meteorology one of many jobs where you can write up a report of your investigation, be completely off and still keep getting paid and writing even more reports with not accurate information. Glad I carry around a mini umbrella in my bag, I'm a mom so my motto is literally

“prepare for the rain while the sun is shinning.”

As we pull up to the parking lot the rain comes down a little heavier but no problem I have front door service. I get out of the car and wham a brush with a wind storm. No more mini umbrella, guess that is why they are cheap, add that to my list of items to buy. Soon as a I come in from my brush with the abdominal snow man wind effect I am greeted. They been waiting for me how nice, but I am still trying to get the leaf off my glasses, wipe the fog off and orientate myself to where I am, am I vertical or horizontal? Ma'am they say, as I say no while bringing up the weather saying man that's some wind out there, I take my glasses off to find the person is not longer standing there. That was quick I guess I said no to quickly, its almost like when someone ask hey how are you doing? They do not really mean how are you doing or they want to hear the mot rosy color answer you can come up with. 

 

I guess I'm on my own, they have so many other party goes they probably went to attend to them it is nothing personal I convince myself. I came to get some sale items and dog on it that is what I'm going to do, wait a minute where are the cleaning products? Usually they would be by the paper products, no someone thought it was clever to place them by the beauty products. Anyway lets find this item that has the front page feature on this invitation. Hmm that's strange I see all other not for sale items fully stocked on the self and I see the shelf tag for the item on sale but do not see the item. Let me check the sale paper did I catch the sale at the end? No this is the first day of a 3 day sale, scratch my head and a light goes on. Maybe they have it in the aisle all set up because they know this type of staple,such as a laundry detergent would bring in lots of customers. I literally go up and down every aisle in this sections looking at end caps and do not see the item, neither do I see anyone else for that matter. No customers or employees, what's going on here what kind of party/sale is this, no one is even at the register. Are they hiding from me, surely someone should be out here stocking these poorly stocked shelves. Maybe that's what they are doing, so I give them a friendly remember that they have a customer, they come from the back and say they have ran out. Man I have missed the mob, they came in and bought all that they had in stock. 

Shopper's tip
One way to avoid this is to track your favorite stores and be the first to see a sale by doing the following:

• Find out how often you local store has sales
• Find out what their coupon policy is by asking the service desk for a copy
• With knowledge of the coupon policy make a plan to visit the store with coupons in hand
• Timing, the earlier the better 
• Get to know your store manager/develop a relationship with them so that you are notified when sales are coming up
• All else fails, ask for a rain check

 

Back to my story; I understand that that this person I am speaking to is just a part time worker and not the manager in charge of ordering but this is not acceptable. Rain check or not if you have a advertised sale and you do not have enough product for the first couple of hours (of a three day sale) then you need to plan more effectively. I convey to them to give their manager a message that I am really disappointed. Off we go honey, we are going to Wal-Mart, which is like going to the jungle. 
For more practical couponing tips down to earth tips I found a great article that explains ways to save money and tips that real people can use not just those with six figure incomes. 
 http://www.moneycrashers.com/free-discount-grocery-coupons/