25 years shopping thrift stores, estate, garage, rummage, flea markets and tag sales. 10 years in interior design. Current DIY projects have been renovating two turn-of-the century brownstones and commercial/residential property development. 
(4.33 out of 5)Tip of the Week #50: Shopping Clearance 101: Missing Price or Misplaced?
August 8th, 2008 by markdownmom
Well, Shopping Clearance 101 continues with this lesson. You find an item on the clearance rack or clearance bin, but it doesn’t have a price tag. Is it regular merchandise placed wrongly in the clearance section? Or, you find an item marked down by 50% on a 75% clearance rack. Was the item overlooked in repricing or is it correct?
Markdown Mom’s Shopping Rule #1: Always scan the UPC label for everything that you purchase before you buy it. By doing this you may be surprised at your extra savings and, further, you avoid any checkout overcharges.
If the store doesn’t have a customer scanner, ask the clerk to check it with a hand scanner. Knowing the price ahead of time helps in the decision-making process as to its’ purchase. First rule of thumb, any items that you like, but are unsure of the price, put it into the cart. It’s easier than going back to find a particular item if you change your mind.
Sometimes regular merchandise gets mixed in with the clearance. However, at other times, not all the clearance on the rack have been ticketed with the reduced price. For instance, recently Markdown Mom found a top that was priced at 50% markdown on a 75% off sale rack. Now many waiting for a better price would have put it back. But Markdown Mom took it to the scanner that showed it was indeed 75% off!
Sometimes you will find items with no price in a clearance bin or rack like this L’Oreal Lineur Intense eyeliner. Oftentimes, this is regular merchandise discarded willy-nilly by a customer. On this occasion, Markdown Mom checked with a clerk and indeed it was on clearance, instead of retail price of $8.99, Markdown Mom paid 87¢!
Another instance of why it is good practice to scan your prices is that the price may not have been changed at the register and to prevent an overcharge, it’s good to be prepared and correct it when it is scanned in by the salesperson. For instance, DVD movies were on a special rack at 2 for $11.00, but one of the movies rang up at $6.99. Letting the salesperson know ahead of time, prevented the wrong price from being charged and an bill adjustment at the customer service desk.
With bargains hard-to-find, and money harder-to-come by, every centavo counts. Rechecking prices takes a little more time, but if you take the time to go through the racks and the bins to find a bargain, taking a little more time can really pay off.
Scan Twice & Save More!
Related Articles You'll Enjoy!
- Department Stores: Clearance Shopping
- Warehouse Shopping Tips
- Tip of the Week: Sorry You Were Out When We Called
- ▪ Sold Out - Or Is It?
- Weekend Bargain Banter
- 5 Ways To Save On Shipping Costs
- ▪ Online Specials for the After Christmas Bargain Hunters
- Mid-Late July A Time of Summer Clearances
- ▪ Online Specials forthe After Christmas Bargain Hunters
- Two Gifts, Too Good, To Pass Up
Tags: summer sales
 (No Ratings Yet) Loading ... |
|
