Bill said:
But why would a retailer be that "dumb"? I just can't imagine allowing
someone to keep a bike (or anything, for that matter), for a whole summer,
and then giving them all a full refund! I guess they were desperate for
business? Or maybe this was a special service to some disadvantaged folks?
I expect the policy has changed, but I haven't asked anyone about it.
The policy was created in another time, when the average consumer
was "square dealing". The notion of abusing their return policy,
never occurred to most people.
The store had "two tier selling". It had a regular price section
and a "clearance center". I suspect some of the clearance center
items were the returns. It was common knowledge that if you
wanted to "buy a fridge with a ding in the door", you'd
drop down to the Clearance Center and there were plenty to
choose from. You'd still get your thirty years of usage from
the thing, but it would have a chip in the paint, or a ding
in the metal work. If you needed to furnish the summer cottage
or needed a beer fridge, that was the place to go.
Things in the Clearance Center still had a warranty for defects
(fridge stops working in the first year), but there was no
return policy on stuff there. No riding a clearance bike for
the summer and bringing it back. That was for the full price
stuff in the upper floor of the store. You wouldn't save a lot of
money in the Clearance Center, but if you were short for cash,
you'd definitely be over there for a look.
They got rid of the Clearance Center concept and the two tier
selling a number of years ago. The company has lost touch with
its customers. Just recently, they sold off some of their real
estate holdings. I give 'em another year or two, before
they're liquidated.
They tried their hand at the Internet,
and they come up in search results occasionally, but
with prices that don't make a lot of sense. Almost
like nobody really cares about their operations
any more. (Like they're rudderless, and some CEO
is just doing stuff to earn a quick bonus.) I don't
think you can really build a loyal following,
using adverts in a search engine.
More than one store here has gone weird. Another
chain, got sold to another company, and promptly
went "upscale". A $10 pillow went for $80. I took
a walk around the store, to do some sample pricing.
I wanted to see just how much gouging they thought
a rich person could take. I was impressed. The
store was almost empty. There weren't that many staff
around. When I entered the luggage department, a
supervisor was teaching a new hire "how to be a
salesman". The funny thing was, both individuals
completely ignored me and made no attempt to
serve me. I don't know how long that chain will
survive its new ownership. But when they go, there
will be precious little we can use to "anchor" malls
around here. By and large, grocery stores have
stopped using the malls. And when all the department
stores are gone, there will be nothing left but
Walmart. (Which isn't really that much of a threat,
as they don't have the variety that the others offered.)
These stores are obviously running from a ghost.
I wish I could figure out who they thought the competition
was. Based on the displayed contents of a Walmart here,
it isn't Walmart. Maybe it's just retailing that is
dying. I can't imagine shopping for a $10 pillow
over the Internet, and paying $10 shipping for it.
Or waiting two days to find out the pillow is
hard as rock, and has to go back to the store.
The last time I bought a pillow, it took a lot of
"sampling" before I could make a purchase. Something
that will no longer be possible if ordering over
the Internet. (The pillow I got, conforms to the
shape of your head and shoulders, and it's helped
stop some neck pain I used to get.)
Paul