A small rant about "Buy one, get one" sales
Buy One, Get One Free sales (and especially Buy One, Get One 50% Off or the Buy One, Get One for $1 sales) are ticking me off lately.
They're not crazy bothersome at the grocery store, where I can happily pick up two packages of frozen fruit, knowing that I'll use them both.
But it drives me nuts when these types of sales are run on non-consumable items.
For instance, as part of Joshua's room re-do (photos coming soon, promise!), I needed to buy him a twin-size blanket. I found one on the Kohl's website that looked like it would work, and waited a day or two to buy it, because I had a coupon that was only good at that later date.
But lo and behold, the day the coupon was valid, the blanket went on a Buy One, Get One 50% Off sale, instead of the previously "discounted"* price (I think it was something like 30% off before).
*discounted is in quotation marks because the prices on everything at Kohl's are artificially inflated and are rarely, if ever sold at what they call "full price".
Ugh. Having to buy two food items to get the discount is one thing, but I didn't want TWO blankets! The extra one would merely clutter up my linen closet, and I'd be spending far more out of pocket than I wanted to.
So, Kohl's lost the sale to me and I bought a blanket from Amazon.
Shoe stores are awful for this too.
Recently, we stopped in at Famous Footwear to buy shoes for Joshua and Lisey (two pairs would qualify us for the discount. Yay!).
Well, we found a pair for Lisey but not for Joshua, which meant that if we just bought Lisey's shoes, we'd get nothing in the way of a discount.
So, we walked out with no shoes and opted to shop elsewhere.
I would so much rather have a 25% off sale that requires the purchase of just one item. But of course, the store wants me to buy two, and they know that this type of sale will have that effect on most consumers.
This is a big reason I love shopping at stores like Aldi or Costco (or even Goodwill). Instead of running these gimmicky sales, they just offer their best price every day, all the time. It really takes a lot of the headache out of shopping.
I imagine these sorts of B1G1 sales are here to stay (consumers love thinking they're getting a discount, even if they're not really saving money!), but a part of me holds out hope that they will someday go the way of the dinosaur.
oh, America. Consuming because we can, not because we need to.
Amen.
I totally agree with your sentiments, Kristen! We sign up for birthday freebies and whenever it's a BOGO, we just ignore it (we go for the fully free deals! 🙂 ). We saw a Dave Ramsey post yesterday called "10 More Things Americans Waste Money On" and #1 was "Up-Sizing Your Order". It seems like that's what BOGO is trying to get us to do. I agree with you that we just need to learn to say no and find other options to get only the things we need.
I just love hearing people quote Dave Ramsey.
Yes I agree! BOGO is often nothing more than a ploy to get you to buy more than you planned to. Fortunately, several of our grocery stores will give you the item at half-off if you only buy one - which I do if I really don't need two of something. And can still add a coupon to that...my kind of savings!
I'm halfway in between on this one. It's frustrating with things that you only want one of, for sure, but I'd hate to have it gone altogether because of the ways that it saves me on things we really do use regularly. For example--Rite Aid had BOGO on Planter's nuts this week. This is a regular purchase for me and for our area meant I got them at a great price. I bought four knowing that we will use them up in a reasonable amount of time. This happens with items like this regularly and it's a plus for me. But I'm with you on having to buy two blankets when you only want one. I'd rather have the sale price on the one.
What I really hate is the BOGO 50% that tries to trick you into thinking you are getting a bargain when you really aren't. Usually the price is so overinflated that you pay just as much per item as you could get it elsewhere. And you have to but two, so you pay twice as much. Hello? Where's the deal? I hate having to get my calculator out to figure out if it's a good deal, or like you say, having to buy more than I need or will use of something to "get the deal". Or how about those rewards where you have to buy $45 worth of something like dish soap to get $10 back? Crazy.
Yeah, like I said, I don't mind it so much at a grocery store. Consumables are one thing, linens and shoes are quite another!
I hear ya & agree about these kind of sales, Kristen. Stores lose my business too because I don't want to bother with deals that waste my time (extra shopping for something that will work within parameters of offer), & money (buying more than what I need).
To me BOGO sales only make sense at certain times of the year - like right before school starts, when it's likely I'll need two hoodies, or two backpacks, or whatever.
While we're on the topic of Kohl's...
Is it just me or do they NEVER have certain sizes of shoes available? I feel like they do really well with toddler shoes up to size 9 or 10, then it completely drops off - I can never find the shoes I want (particularly not if they're on sale) in a size 11, 12, 13 or sometimes even 1. But there will be stacks and stacks of the same shoe in a size 2, 3 and larger.
It's like there's an entire age of child that Kohl's forgot to stock shoes for.
Still, those sales must be very annoying if you only have one kid. Usually parents don't want to buy two backpacks for one kid!
I haven't bought tons of kids shoes at Kohl's, so I have no idea how the stock at my store compares to yours. That would be super frustrating, though.
Same thing with ladies shoes, try finding size 11. Don't even get me started on why manufactors don't make 10 1/2 or half sizes of larger shoes. BTW I wear 10 & 1/2 impossible!
I wear 5-1/2 on shoes which is also impossible to find. I ended up going for Size 6 or children's Size 3.
I have to disagree on this one!
I almost always buy two pairs of the same shoes at once. It started when I was a kid and my mum got frustrated with having to drag me shoe shopping. So she would buy one and stash the other for when the first ones wore out or I outgrew them.
I still do it now, and it's a huge relief to not have to go hunting for replacements when all I need is a new pair of not-worn-out flats!
I'm convinced I actually save money this way, because I don't have to do a big mall trip and be tempted to spend money as I hunt for replacements.
Ah, interesting. If you have predictable shoe taste, I can totally see this working out for you. And once you're done growing, it would simplify this process a whole lot.
Still, if they just did a 25% off sale, those of us who don't buy two pairs of shoes could get as lovely a bargain as you!
I agree with this and do the same thing for myself, and for my daughter. Since she's going on 4, I buy one pair of shoes for her now and buy another pair in a larger size. For me, I buy most of my shoes at the same store, and their half-off discount doesn't expire. So I buy shoes today and know I've got a discount coming at some point down the road. Or my husband gets a pair. We don't buy shoes too often, so this works for us.
I, too, buy multiple pair of the same shoes, so these deals work for me. But they'd be lousy for kids, who are still growing. That said, I don't like BOGOs. They exist to lure you into buying more.
Yeah, they just need to move their stock I guess. Next collection around the corner etc.
I'm with you, but it is just the kind of monster you have to conquer if you want live frugally.
I guess I'm not the only one who gets the gaze... walking out of the shop. Somehow salespeople cannot believe that I will actually leave and not make the impulse purchase they were counting on. When money was very tight I would do this almost every time: I'd say I liked the article but I wanted to think it over, and told them I would come back the next day. Often, I would come back - and I would get the gaze for a second time. They thought it was just a fib to leave.
Kristen- when do we get to see Joshua's finished room?
Well, the last beanbag chair just arrived recently, so now I can take photos and share them!
Hi Kristen! Kohls will actually discount one item of you only want one. They had a BOGO on suitcases(?!?!) and I went to customer service and asked and I think they gave me 25% off the one suitcase. Since I learned that I did it on a purse as well. You just have to ask! 🙂
Ooh, that's so good to know!
I also found this the case at a shoe store that had BOGO. Hate those sales. Asked and they gave me the 25% instead (or the option to mark my receipt and bring the receipt next time i needed shoes for the sale item.)
I was going to say this too. You can just mention it to your checker at Kohl's, you don't have to search out a manager or anything. I've never had an issue. It would be worth a try at other stores too.
Yup, it irritates me, as well. Sometimes, when shoe-shopping for my kids, it works out to my advantage, but overall I would rather have a "normal" sale. The other thing that irritates me is the constant "if you get our credit card you will get X amount off ... ". I head the sales clerks off at the pass on this one--when they ask if I have their store's card, I tell them, politely, "no, and I'm not interested". I maintain that the amount of "savings" I would get would result in me spending more.
Yeah, take that, Target Red Card!
A Target RedCard is different. It's a debit card directly linked to your checking account and you get a 5% discount on every purchase.
I'd definitely consider getting one of those if I shopped at Target regularly. But I don't go there often enough to make it worth opening and keeping track of another card.
Bra stores often seem to run sales where you have to buy two or even three to get a free one. Who needs to buy four bras at once?!
The one place I like BOGO sales is Sprouts, the awesome-produce grocery store. More celery? Yes, please!
I have an answer for you!
Missionaries, aid workers and diplomats!
Before we moved to our current post, I had to stock up on three years worth of basics. Bras and undies, tampons and pads, deodorant, etc.
I was very grateful for sales then!
Actually, I almost always purchase bras in groups. I almost never need just one bra. If I'm going bra hunting, I'm not just going to buy ONE. After trying on what feels like hundreds and hating most, if I find one at a decent price that fits great, I'm going to buy 3 or 4 so I don't have to go at it again! Not to mention, I don't want to end up wearing the same bra over and over and ruining it right after I have bought it. This also gives me great incentive to keep my drawers cleaned out and not buy the cheapo bras 'just to get by'. I do have some of those for yard work, but even those suckers are about to go bye bye! LOL
I stopped hating the BOGO's when I realized I could just instantly donate the second item, brand new and fresh.
I thank you for that, because I am the frugal shopper who always thrift shops and never pays retail. BOGO sales don't matter one whit to me, because I can get the item nearly new for pennies on the dollar.
I too get frustrated with these sales! Kohl's is really bad for it, but I've discovered that if I wait a week or two after the BOGO sale is over, the item usually comes back on sale and a new coupon is out that I can use on it. Sometimes I have to go in the store to do this instead of ordering online though. Still a hassle.
Michael's (craftstore) does this also. I needed one picture frame for my daughter's photo a few weeks ago. They were BOGO, but I only needed one. I ended up getting a great frame at Ross instead for way less than what 25% would have been. I try to remember these stores' goals are to make money and my goal is to part with the least amount possible. Oh well.
I think the key issue is what is mentioned at the end --many people like or respond to these types of sales and perceived bargains. JCPenney tried to go with everyday low pricing, and consumers deserted them in droves. They switched back to inflated regular pricing and discounting. I am a Kohl's shopper because it is convenient, but their pricing drives me crazy. "Regular" prices that no one ever pays, but 30% discount plus Kohl's cash makes you feel like you are getting a bargain. And, with the Kohl's cash, you make another trip to the store to buy more stuff. Ugh!
What I found with JCPenney when they went with "everyday low pricing" was that they did away with their 80-90%-off clearance pricing, which was how I shopped their store. When they switched back, the great clearance pricing returned. It means I have to buy clothing off-season and I don't quite get the choices as I do for in-season stock, but I could find new clothing for prices better than re-sale stores and not much more than Goodwill, if I was patient (that's for 2 adults and 2 elementary-aged kids). I'm sure this varies from store to store, and most people don't use my purchasing techniques, but I was relieved when the "everyday low pricing" went away. Yay super-duper bargains!
Yes, Penney's did much more wrong than that when they tried their infamous switch. It was so complicated no one could remember their pricing code. And our particular Penney's tore out approximately 25% of their first floor clothing area to put in a giant cosmetics store smack in the middle. I believe it was Sephora (?), and there was, and still is, another Sephora store about 20 feet outside their entrance. What the heck?
Also, it feels as if they are trying to dump their over 40 crowd (who we now know have the most money) and appeal to a much younger demographic.
My irritant with Kohl's is that twice I have gone there because they had something really attractive in their mailer but they didn't have it in the store. And although the clerk tried to help me order it in store online , it wasn't there either.
I used to work for Kohls, and unless you need multiples of something the buy one get one is not the best deal because if you buy one you do have to pay the mfg suggested retail. With a few exceptions, you'll rarely see them charge the mfg suggested retail for an item in the store.
HOWEVER.. it usually goes back to it's normal "sale" within a week or two and you can always get a price adjustment within two weeks of purchase. So I'll buy the item at full price with my coupon and bring my receipt back in when it goes back on sale.
I believe that if you are willing to go through the return process if you buy something on a BOGO most stores will pro rate the item returned/item you keep. If I remember right Kohl's will list the return value of each item on the receipt (I don't shop there any more).
I sure agree with you, Kristen! If I only need one.....I don't want to feel pressured to buy more. In a perfect world...what is that anyway.....a person could walk into a store and buy exactly what they came for and the price be the same daily for that same item. Seems to me it would take less clerks, cashiers, marketing, etc. However, we wouldn't be tempted nearly as much with the "lure of the sale". We are retired and have reached a stage in our lives when we just don't need lots of new things....but are frustrated that when you have actually worn something out, there is never anything left nearly like it. I a lot of times can find the item we want at a thrift store and in good shape. I like the money savings of thrift shopping but am pleased to find the classic item I was seeking there. Guess that says I am out of style....but usually don't much care for the poorly made trendy items that are offered at Kohl's or jcp which are often poorly constructed and not intended to be worn more than one season.
It shouldn't work but it does, because humans aren't very logical.
In this same vein, I abhor sales that state you have to buy a certain number to get the sale price. Such as a "5 for $5" or "10 for $10" but the price is more if you don't buy the whoe amount. This is why I love my HEB grocery, if you buy only one, it $1.
Most grocery stores in Cali don't make you buy 10 for 10. if you buy 1, its still 1.00, but most people don't know that so they buy all 10.
A lot of stores do this tactic to entice consumers. My coworker always tells me how they save money on gas when they buy qualified items at the grocery store where they like to shop but I asked him if they really needed what they buy (ready made pizza,cupcakes,corn dogs,etc.),he just said yes even I know the answer is not true.
I used to avoid Kohl's like the plague because of their overinflated "original" price. Every single time I go to Kohl's, everything is on sale. Now I just wait until I get an extra 30% off coupon and Kohl's cash. I recently picked up some Vera Wang towels for a wedding gift. They were on a 90% off clearance. The original price was 23.99 for a friggen hand towel. Who would pay that? The wash cloth was 17.99. Of course I only paid the 90% off price and I had an additional 30% off.
I agree, but the majority of American shoppers apparently do not. JCPenney's new CEO briefly tried to re-brand with JCP and get rid of sales and just offer lower prices everyday. Their sales tanked. People quit going in their because they didn't see "SALE!" everywhere when they walked by. I think they are back to marketing as JCPenney with sales.
Interestingly, that's Walmart's strategy, as well. No big sales, just their "every day low prices" and it sure has worked for them, or something has. What exactly that is, I'm not sure. I know there are books out there explaining Walmart's success, but I haven't read them. There seem to be more negatives than positives, but you can't deny their success.
That is true. But that's one store that I can't stand shopping at, despite the everyday low prices. (It's not the prices that bug me...it's a lot of other things!)
It seems to be extremely fashionable to 'dis' Wal Mart these days. Lots of people, on blogs anyway, claim they would never shop there. It kind of reminds me everyone claiming they never watch TV.
Two things cross my mind. As far as I can tell, Wal Mart started the low prices on generic drugs that has spread rapidly across the nation to compete. This was an incredibly good thing.
The second thing is that the rumor is the employees are poorly paid. I don't know their wage scale but there are poorly paid employee in lots and lots of places. If someone doesn't like working there for whatever reason they can move on.
I don't know about other people, but speaking for myself, I believe that I have only made three purchases there in something like the last five years (and both times I was reminded why I don't like to shop there!).
Aldi and Costco DO pay their employees a very fair wage, so when possible, I prefer to spend my dollars there since I'm lucky enough to live in an area with plenty of shopping choices.
Our Walmart is a decent place to shop - it's clean, logically laid out, well-stocked and has good prices. I don't know what they're like in the US but that's our experience (I live in Canada).
I was at Kohls this past week, returning and exchanging a few items that I bought online with my 30% off coupon the week prior. 2 items were even exchanges, a few others I had to return, but I was purchasing some new items. There was no coupon offer happening that day, but I did have a coupon for 20% that started the next day. So I asked the gal, "I have this coupon that starts tomorrow, but is there one that is happening for today?" and she told me that she could use my 20% off right then and there but I couldn't earn any Kohls cash on it. Ummm okay! It never hurts to ask!!! I didn't want Kohls cash anyways!
I do have to say once you learn the system of kohls you really do get good deals. When I shop there I go straight to clearance and have my 30% off with $10 off. I have gotten lots of my children clothes even if they didn't fit until next year for as low as $.50 a piece. Then again I used to work there and you see how the rotations worked. I would tell customers who would come in during BOGO's to come back usually the following week for the better deal. I could usually scan and see what sale would be popping up. I would also suggets better items as well for a cheaper price if I think they would care, 9/10 the people thanked me leaving with a smile. Any who I kind of went off track, don't buy the BOGO's at kohls, its usually not a great deal.
I agree. I am also tired of the buy 10 items to get the sale price or so much off. Too hard to keep track of which 10 items qualify and I don't need 10 items. I have commented on this to the grocery stores on their satisfaction surveys but to no avail. Evidently this gimmick works but not for small families. I will just shop elsewhere.
lol that one always gets me too! Why buy 10 jugs of milk! or 10 mayo's!?!?!! hello expired stuff.... And a lot of hefty things to post on a given Friday!!!! lol
Most stores will honor the sale price even if you don't buy 10. Like, Krogers. Say those gummy snack things. You can buy 5 boxes and it will be $5. All I did was ask. 🙂
I'm glad Jewel stopped asking for the discount card at the register. When you have a cranky toddler with you it saves a lot on time! Why not just have things automatically discounted everywhere?
Snubbing your nose at BOGO sales is just as elitist as another person bragging about the fantastic deals they got at the BOGO sale buying things they didn't immediately need. Who said you didn't need that 2nd blanket? and how do you know you won't need it in the future? You could have used it for a wedding or birthday or Xmas gift or something. And if you're going to go that far, you probably didn't need that 2nd bag of fruit either. And we all should give up buying anything because in the end we really don't need much. Seriously?? Taking frugal living to the extreme can be just as much a religion as anything else.... Just saying' Love your site and God bless you and your family!
What I am annoyed at is the fact that I didn't have a choice in the matter. To get the discount, I had no other choice than to buy two blankets, which is frustrating when I only wanted one.
(I have limited linen closet space, already own several throw blankets, and the girls and I already have blankets for our beds. So I definitely didn't want a second blanket, especially since buy one, get one 50% off is not exactly like a buy one, get one free sale.)
I'm not saying the sale wouldn't work if you did want two blankets or if you had an idea for a use for one in the future. I'm just saying that I really would prefer to just have a discount on a single item so that I can choose how many I want to buy.
Made a comment earlier that I don't know if anyone saw. Kohls will give you a 25% discount on one item if you don't need two. You just have to ask! 🙂
Yes-I'm definitely going to try that in the future. It wouldn't work for online-only purchases like Joshua's blanket, but it's good to know for in-store shopping.
That drives me crazy too! This weekend I was thinking how difficult shopping has become. I was buying work clothes at a ladies clothing shop and was trying to figure if that weekend's deal of buy a pair of pants at 40% off and shirt that was on the clearance rack at an additional 60% off would be less expensive if I came back in a few days and used one coupon for 30% off plus an additional $10 on a purchase over $50 without an additional clearance discount on the shirt. I decided to save myself the headache and the additional trip and just bought my items while I was there.
Kohl's "discounts" drive me crazy because I often have to come back a week, a few days or even a few hours (in the case of night owl discounts) to get the item I want at a reasonable price. Which is the point I think - return business.
I much rather have items at a fair price every day but Penny's tried that approach and people hated it. Everyone wants a deal. Even when its not really a deal.
This is how I feel about sales, coupons, etc. in general. People love to feel they're pulling one over on the store but trust me, you're not. Unless it's going to be a very short-lived business, they don't stick around by losing on transaction after transaction.
I have been trying to make a pact with myself that I only buy stuff on sale if I would pay full price for it. Then I know I'm actually saving money since my utility gained from the product is clearly higher than the cost. If I'm buying it because it's on sale, then I may not really value it that much, and may be succumbing to the discount marketing.
I totally agree Kristen, if you are in the store, like Kohls just ask. Not only did the clerk I was checking out with let me use a 20% off coupon that started the next day, she also helped me out with a pair of shoes I was returning. I bought them online with my 30% off and they were too big. I brought them to the store to exchange them and they didn't have the exact pair. So I found another pair that were similar (and I liked better) but they were not the exact same price so she couldn't do an even exchange. So I asked her about losing my 30% off now on the shoes since they didn't have the same pair and she said "I'll take care of it." And gave me 30% off the shoes. And 20% off my whole bill. Always ask. 😉
I was shopping at a discount store that still had price stickers. They also had a deodorant manufacturer's Buy One at regular price, Get One free sale going on, with two deodorants packaged together and a big BOGO emblem on the package. I checked the price- it seemed high, say $4.89, because I don't remember the actual price now. I dug in the shelf and found the single deodorants with stickers that said something like $2.89 on them, whatever was the normal price for that brand. I took both the BOGO and the single deodorants to the clerk and pointed out that if I was truly buying one at regular price and getting one free, as the label and store flyer both indicated, then the price should be $2.89. She let me have the BOGO package for the $2.89. These days, though, so few stores use stickers that it's almost impossible to catch that. And, I've noticed that most no longer say Buy One AT REGULAR PRICE, Get One Free. They just say BOGO free or 50%, etc. I've learned to either check them very carefully if I know the single price, or just skip them. I have seen some BOGO free sales in which I knew the "sale" price for the two items was more than double the normal price. The other day, I actually found peanut butter that truly was BOGO free with the first being at its regular price. Amazing. I bought four and donated three to the church food drive.
And while I'm at it, I also hate the "sale" ads on meat that say, "Save UP TO $4.69 a pound", then lists a "sale" price that is a very few cents less than the normal price. Winn Dixie does this a lot. Ugh.
I hate the buy one get one meals at restaurants when I am traveling solo. What am I supposed to do with the other meal?
I have to say, this is one time I feel like I mostly disagree. I love it on food, personal items, shoes, jeans, whatever! I can see how it would be a pain with something like a blanket/comforter, though. But I would just ask if they would do a 25% since you're only getting one. Lots of stores honor that. And I see that someone mentioned that so... Nothing else to add. HA!
Hooray, for saying what I have been saying since the first day the B1G1 marketing ploy was unveiled. If I had wanted 2 of the same thing I would have bought 2. I only need one and preferably with the discount. Now if someone would just apply the B1G2 with curtains and draperies...... I am always surprised that soooooooooo many people actually believe they are getting a great deal. I also like the ad campaigns that informed me that I can't save more without buying from them. OMG yes I can, don't buy if you do not need. There I just saved myself money.
I totally agree on the BOGO thing - I have a Dunkin Donuts App, and it keeps giving me BOGO Iced Coffee coupons. I don't know about anyone else, but I usually buy my coffees one at a time. My husband doesn't drink iced...so, there's that. I wish they would just give me $.50 off my one, or bonus points towards my next one, or even buy one today get one tomorrow free.