Can Retail Stores Say Storewide Sale but Still Have Exclusions? What Does This Actually Mean?

LYellowEarthAustralia on 26/06/2017 - 12:53

Hey guys,

Just wanted to start a discussion on whether or not retail stores can put up display signs saying "X% off storewide sale" but still have exclusions? To me it doesn't make sense, but I see a lot of large brands saying this.
I operate a couple of small retail stores in shopping centres, and I'm so sure that if I did Storewide sale and had an exclusion cause, I would get customers making complaints almost instantly - I don't think I can explain myself in this situation.

What does storewide really mean? And is there a difference between Storewide and Store wide?

General Discussion

Comments

  • boomramada on 26/06/2017 - 12:54

    you never heard of fine print?
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw3fWb61wgQ

    • YellowEarthAustralia on 26/06/2017 - 12:56

      Of course I have, but how does storewide not mean anything else than storewide?

      How do you explain this to a customer?

      • boomramada on 26/06/2017 - 12:56
        +6

        store-wide sale, then in fine print, exclude following… blah blah. Nothing wrong with that.
        I can stand with store wide sale but not UPTO X% sale, that's even worst.
        But you get lots of frustrated/unhappy customers, I remember in one store, even sales people wasn't happy as they have to explain that to every single customer who walk in.

        • Sunny84 on 26/06/2017 - 13:19

          Hate the 'upto x%' sales too! I always see them at Calvin Klein DFO, upto 70% off and the stores get busy but hardly any bargins.

        • boomramada on 26/06/2017 - 13:28
          +1

          @Sunny84:

          Speaking of DFO, they had a awesome one, big banner, 90% off store wide, then fine print, "for the second item, if you bought a full priced item" I felt sorry for the sales staff.

        • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 15:55
          +1

          @boomramada:

          *discount applies to the lower priced item
          **discount only applies to sale items
          ***There's only 1 item on sale in the store and it only costs $1
          ****They're actually sold out of the $1 item on sale
          *****We reserve the right to inspect your bags
          ******Just leave your wallet at the door and don't come back for it.

          No wonder why retailers are having a hard time these days.

        • boomramada on 26/06/2017 - 16:02

          @sp00ker:

          No wonder why retailers are having a hard time these days

          That is a different topic, due to high rent/wages/insurance/shop lifters/tax/etc.
          Shops there to make money, feed their family but we community in a bargain site, so there is a slight conflict ;)

        • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 16:03
          -2

          @boomramada:

          That is a different topic, due to high rent/wages/insurance/shop lifters/tax/etc.

          And their own stupidity has nothing to do with the problem? Easier to blame someone else, right?

      • retiredfeline on 26/06/2017 - 13:21

        Storewide is a marketing term and has to be read in conjunction with the fine print.

  • altomic on 26/06/2017 - 13:13

    what if there is a corridor down the left of the store which has no stock in it? that's means it's not "store wide", can they do this!! wouldn't it be false advertising?

  • Ryanek on 26/06/2017 - 13:19
    +1

    Would you rather stores list every item that is on sale?

  • John Kimble on 26/06/2017 - 13:41
    +1

    And is there a difference between Storewide and Store wide?

    There is a space character between "store" and "wide" in the second version. This is why I am a detective! You're welcome ;)

  • John Kimble on 26/06/2017 - 13:54
    +2

    Conditions apply/fine print apply to pretty much everything.

    Eg sushi trains that say "all plates $2.50 except sashimi plates" or petrol stations limit the max litres you can get the discounts on.

    It's how they try to cover their butt from being "Ozbargained" and going out of business.

    Props/Good Luck to you if you choose not to. Perhaps you should advertise your shops here and see how they go?

  • scrimshaw on 26/06/2017 - 13:56
    +1

    It is easier to list exclusions than it is to list inclusions.

    You could print a poster that reads "Storewide Sale" and then "Excludes Apple computers, Lay-by and Gift cards" at the bottom of the page.

    rather than "Sale now on! Acer, Bose, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, Sunbeam, Logitech….." which is too lengthy and too wordy for anybody to consider reading.

    • John Kimble on 26/06/2017 - 14:20
      +3

      I think the point the OP is trying to make is that by pure definition it cannot be a "storewide sale" if there are exclusions, because the two things contradict each other.

      Whilst technically true, I don't think there would be that many people that would try and argue this point or successfully get a discount on an exclusion item just on this technicality anyway.

      I reckon it would be like someone with an extremely small or large head trying to argue with a baseball cap maker for printing "one size fits all" on their caps when technically they wouldn't fit everyone.

      • YellowEarthAustralia on 26/06/2017 - 14:58
        +1

        I like the baseball cap analogy! appreciate your response

      • Oz-Bogan on 26/06/2017 - 19:17

        That's why they now say OSFM.

  • John Kimble on 26/06/2017 - 14:37

    I operate a couple of small retail stores in shopping centres, and I'm so sure that if I did Storewide sale and had an exclusion cause, I would get customers making complaints almost instantly - I don't think I can explain myself in this situation.

    It's common practice. You choose what price to sell things at and consumers choose if they will pay that price.

    A reasonable consumer would not expect everything in your store to be on sale (as exclusions are common practice).

    Unless you were desperate or you had some sort of strategy happening, why would you sell something below cost price just so you satisfied the definition of "storewide"?

  • YellowEarthAustralia on 26/06/2017 - 15:02

    Thanks for the responses OzBargain community!

    Judging by the feedback so far, it seems its reasonable to expect a "Store-wide" sale to have exclusions, although it doesn't satisfy the actual definition of those words.

    I know many sale signs have exclusions, and it's always baffled me when I see this as it doesn't make sense!

  • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 15:58

    I operate a couple of small retail stores in shopping centres, and I'm so sure that if I did Storewide sale and had an exclusion cause, I would get customers making complaints almost instantly - I don't think I can explain myself in this situation.

    Retailer should just do away with price stickers. They're meaningless anyway, given the variety of promotions running on any given day.

    Just let the customer make an offer which you can accept or refuse…

    • YellowEarthAustralia on 26/06/2017 - 17:38
      +1

      Retailers always need signs or something to attract the customers to come in. Price stickers are useful only once the customer is inside your store.

      Depending on the store and where it is, I don't think it's wise to give customers the idea that you can make an offer and negotiate on prices. It will in turn become a habit and customers will expect to haggle which is the worst thing to have…unless you operate a market stall!

      • [Deactivated] on 26/06/2017 - 18:53

        Depending on the store and where it is, I don't think it's wise to give customers the idea that you can make an offer and negotiate on prices.

        Too late. It's almost like that already. People have been able to haggle at goodguys/jb hifi/bing lee for years.

        At myer/david jones they have a different offer every day. If you ask the staff if there's a better offer later in the week or 'what's the cheapest you've seen this item' they'll happily tell you. I guess they don't want to waste everyone's time by doing price adjustments/returns later. It's not exactly haggling, just a different form for price discovery/price discrimination.

  • JimB on 26/06/2017 - 16:39
    +1

    I had an issue with a store that had a "50% store wide sale".

    No exclusion or fine print.

    Went to buy something and it wasn't on sale. I asked what's up with that.

    15 awkward minutes later, I walked out with the item at 50% off. I felt sorry for the staff but I don't like it when stores mislead customers. If they had exclusion or fine prints then I'd accept it.

  • Oz-Bogan on 26/06/2017 - 19:23

    Most signs will have "Up to" in tiny letters before the 50%. Which means nothing could be on sale.

    • JIMB0 on 27/06/2017 - 09:35

      They'd have to have at least one item for 50%. Otherwise it would be false advertising.

      • John Kimble on 27/06/2017 - 09:44

        Storewide with exclusions is false advertising (technically).

  • furys12 on 27/06/2017 - 10:38

    It is common practice but it is annoying that its become common practice, it's 100% marketing tricks because they can cover their ass in the fine print, i dont buy the whole "its better then listing everything for sale" or that saying "some exclusions apply" is better then listing everything not on sale, theres plenty of ways to word a wide spread not everything sale, they just aren't as flashy and catchy as saying everything and covering ass with exclusions in the fine print

  • Cliche Guevara on 27/06/2017 - 14:13

    Another way to look at it - "Storewide Sale" doesn't mean "everything" in the store is on sale - but that there are sales on items spread all across the store (in the case of something like DJ's it means sales in different departments). At least it's not as bad as saying "Everything 50% off" and then having exclusions. I think most people are reasonable and don't expect absolutely everything in the store to be on sale and that there will always be exclusions. Just mark them clearly.

  • HeWhoKnows on 27/06/2017 - 21:32

    yes, of course they can. A store-wide sale goes across (almost) all categories. Not all items.
    Another one to understand is the 10 to 50% OFF SALE.
    Only 1 item needs to be 50% off for this to be held true and its often the first thing to run out.

  • [Deactivated] on 27/06/2017 - 21:39
    +1

    Depends how wide the store is
    If the store is 6 metres wide and was 50% off that would be more of a bazar sale down a laneway

    • John Kimble on 28/06/2017 - 06:53

      Haha, yeah could be a storewide sale and not a storedepth sale…

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