What are your thoughts.............

[chris]

as I can't decide!!!

Do you think it is 'fair' to customers to reduce prices before Christmas??

I would like to discount some of my christmassy things but feel it would be unfair to customers who have already purchased them at the higher price. I know it is their decision to buy when they do but I know how I would feel.
Indeed, traidcraft have just done the 'dirty' on me. After emailing me last week and I decided to buy a bag (with postage at £4.95 which I thought was ridiculous for a bag) they have emailed me today with their sale prices and free delivery on everything!!
I am one unhappy customer especially as I had to chase after the parcel as it was late arriving.

So, if it a good thing to do or not??? Let's have a debate!!!!

[moomum]

My logic was that people won't be spending much in the sales in January so I might as well have a good sale now, I have had 1/3 off for a week now and it is up until xmas. I think I got in there before people started their xmas shopping in earnest.

[Miranda]

Well it's in limited supply, so if they leave it too late you won't have any left. Perfectly fair IMO - you don't want Christmassy stock left, and the customer will want to make sure they got their goodies in time for Christmas and you hadn't run out!

[Spacekids]

I wouldn't have a problem if I bought something and later saw that it was reduced. It's the luck of the draw in my view!

[chris]

Thanks for the replies. It is good to see it from other people's points of view. I may start my sales early!

[naturalnursery]

It is annoying when it happens but that is life! Am I right in thinking that Amazon have stopped the price match thing - you know where if they reduced the price, you got the difference back?

Axx

[lajlaj]

Another way around this is what the high street is doing - "spot sales" which is an odd day here or there with a percentage off. OK it doesn't completely get around the fact that someone may have bought at a dearer price but there isn't a lot you can do about that.

Same often happens in reverse, someone will kick themselves should you put your prices up and they didn't buy the day before.

[Chell]

Another way around this is what the high street is doing - "spot sales" which is an odd day here or there with a percentage off. OK it doesn't completely get around the fact that someone may have bought at a dearer price but there isn't a lot you can do about that.

Same often happens in reverse, someone will kick themselves should you put your prices up and they didn't buy the day before.

This is what I was thinking, the big names do it so why can't you?

[chris]

This is what I was thinking, the big names do it so why can't you?

Cos I think about my customers too much!!! I'll have to get hard and think like a big company!
Thanks everyone!

[blush]

The high street are doing it every other day now! I was mad as I spent quite a bit in BHS, then 4 days later they had reductions.All it means is I am now waiting until the very lat minute now before spending.ie I am actually waiting for the discount days.We tried one off discount days in the shop and it didn't make any difference to sales to be honest.

[MissMountshaft]

I think in the current economic climate, anything goes. M & S have already had a couple of 'one day only' 20% discounts. With all the offers that are available, I don't think customers are going to be expecting anything in particular, so do what's best for YOUR business x

[brooklyn]

The great Little Trading co is reducing their xmas stuff by 75% today!

[Pogglers]

Well I reduced some of my items a week or so ago and I saw it as doing customers a favour. Perhaps people might have bought things before they were reduced but that still happens when you have a January sale or whenever too. So unless you decide to never have a sale at all there is always going to be someone who has lost out.
But if you look at it positively you have made Christmas shopping that bit cheaper for some people so how can that be bad?