Sales, sales, sales…everywhere the signboards scream!

It’s that time of year again (yes, fast approaching Christmas) where stores compete with one another for the consumer dollar by rolling out sales of different sizes. Big sales, small sales, moving out sales, warehouse sales, year long marathon sale, end of season sales…and of course this one “really HUGE sale”.

There is drama in sales!

Over the years, I have become immune to avalanche of sales and the marketing tactics behind it. Going to a sale means more than just parting with my money. Most people will go to a sale and buy. But do you think they will only buy the items on sale? No! They will also look around in the same store and end up buying the items not on sale. It’s a freaking disease of the mind. I can attest to this personally.

And because something is on sale, many a times we will buy it just because it is cheap. Our mental wires are already telling us to ‘just buy it’…’you may need it one day’…’it’s so cheap’. But we never consider whether we really need it or will use it at all. I bet some of you have bought clothes at a sale which you have never worn even once. I have too.

Now when I look at the signs screaming sales, sales, sales…I’m not so sure it’s a sale after all.

There’s definitely drama in a sales. And most people are addicted to this disease called ‘drama’. ‘Drama’ works in this manner. Assuming the store which we really like is selling its handbag at $699. Every month you go, it’s always the same price – $699. So for the next 11 months from Jan to Nov, it’s $699, $699, $699….$699. Now that’s not only bad news but also boring. The price doesn’t change at all. Sigh.

The drama kicks in when in the month of Dec when you walk in and realise there’s a 10% off everything sale in the store. The handbag which originally costs $699 is now going for $629! You save $70!!! Wow…What do you do? You will consider buying seriously. Out rips your handphone into its calculator mode and off you go hitting the figures on the keypad. 

In another scenario, if you walk into the store and realise there’s a 50% off everything sale, the ‘drama’ factor is heightened and you buy immediately as it’s now only $349.50!!! Yipee…You won’t even think twice.

Remember, the higher the percentage of discount, the higher the drama is drummed into us. Drama is a double edged sword. On the one hand, it is exciting. But it is also that one show that makes us broke.

Drama is a double edged sword – it is exciting and yet makes us broke

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