Saturday, December 5, 2009

Coupons

Bed, Bath and Beyond has inundated me with coupons providing 20% off on any single item. As a result I am reluctant to buy more than one thing at a time in the local store. Somehow this does not seem like the optimal marketing strategy.
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4 comments:

  1. MaryDecember 7, 2009 at 7:13 AM

    I think that this means that everything in B B and Beyond is overpriced by 20 percent since you can keep going back and buying it at a "20 percent discount" if you are willing to put in the effort. Comparison shopping can show whether things in this store are overpriced compared to the market.

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  2. WittDecember 21, 2009 at 2:30 PM

    Every BBB I've been in lets you use at least 5 coupons when you buy things. You can also use expired coupons.

    Mary is partly right in my experience; there are some items (notably small appliances) where BBB seems to mark things up by 20% compared to other stores. On the other hand their prices are pretty competitive in other areas (dish cloths, knives) so I find the coupons worth it.

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  3. James B. ShearerDecember 21, 2009 at 3:33 PM

    The coupons clearly say one per customer per visit in fine print. I don't really have the nerve to try and violate the stated conditions although I have heard that the expiration dates aren't enforeced.

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  4. MaryDecember 22, 2009 at 5:34 AM

    They really don't care if you use more coupons, actually, since most likely some of the things you are buying are at a big markup. They are banking on the fact that people get into the store then buy other things they hadn't thought about. Most people do not go into a store for just one thing.

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