MDM over the Labor Day Weekend visited some of her favorite chain stores.  One would think that shopping would be a pleasant way to relax during a long weekend–au contraire, my friends, Monday was sheer pandemonium.  Stores near a university or college were packed with new and returning students, their roommates and families.  Even Goodwill was open and with 50% off everything in the store, excluding red tags–it was wall-to-wall people.

What MDM did notice, in a cursory investigation of the chain stores, was a difference in pricing and number and percentage of markdowns.  It appears that stores located in the more transitional metro areas and nearer to institutions of higher education had higher prices and less markdowns.  Recent studies of price disparity in lower economic neighborhoods have borne this out, even by  national chain stores recognized for their uniform pricing and product selection from coast to coast.   Therefore, take note, product selection and pricing will vary according to location and its’ economic status..

However, with a concentrated effort, the  bargain hunter, will be able to discern  those stores within a chain that have great unadvertised bargains.  Sometimes referred in-house as the "markdown store,"  these are usually the older stores that have limited space because they were built just prior to the super store era, but, nonetheless, must be able to carry the same merchandise, albeit without  a full range grocery department  found in the super stores. For MDM, these stores are gems since every visit provides another opportunity to find a great bargain!

TIP:  During the next two weeks expect to be entering the Post Labor Day, Back To School markdown period.  In fact, MDM  observed while shoppers were making their last Back To School supplies purchases, that the stores were beginning to empty those dedicated areas and consolidate the  overstock for clearance.  Be sure to stay alert for those remaining items to be reduced from 30%, to 50%, and finally to 75% and more now and through the end-of-the month.

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