All Tomorrow's Sales

[Zeno Marx]

(a little nod to The Velvet Underground for those so inclined)

I got overwhelmed with all the sales dropping on the same day, so I didn't order a single thing. The decision making that was necessary scrambled my brain. I just felt frustrated (and irritated) and did nothing as a result. Anyone else feel that way? I understand the new corporate-driven traditions of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. I get the pressure business feels. It obviously works, but I still question if scheduling some of your biggest sales of the year, all on the same day as everyone else, doesn't cut out some of your customers. Any thoughts?

I should have both stocked up on the blends lesser showing in my reserves and finally tried those LJ Peretti blends, but I didn't. There's a little regret, but mostly, it left me wondering. What do you think?

 

[Simple Man]

I did a bit of shopping with smokingpipes. I was just waiting for payday to make purchases anyway. It just so happened that that coincided with Black Friday weekend, so it was a benefit to me. I saved 15% on purchases and got $5 store credit for every $50 spent. So all in all, not too bad.

I didn't really do any other shopping though and agree with you that it would be nice to break tradition and spread the sales out over several weeks, but the retailers know what works for them. I heard on the radio when I was out this morning that this weekend was one of the highest ever for online purchases.

 

[user 2027]

Picked up some things at P&C for the cyber deal. Took advantage of a deal at The Country Squire for black Friday. Would like to have gotten more but we just replaced up and downstairs HVAC.

 

[AJ]

I agree with Zeno. I have more tobacco than I’ll ever live long enough to smoke, but when I see all these great deals there is a lot of pressure for me to buy more. Yes I went so far as to put several tins HH Acadian Perique and Old Dark Fired in the cart. Fortunately I was able to beat down the urge to buy. All these sales scramble my good judgment and it’s a fight to maintain and use common sense.

AJ

 

[ftrplt]

Totally agree that all theses sale offers get my attention and tempt my better judgement!! However, I'm in the camp with others...I have more tobacco (most well-aged!!) and cigars than I will probably ever smoke. No more PAD & TAD Just can't justify it. :cheers: FTRPLT

 

[Corncobcon]

I didn't buy a darn thing on Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, or Cyber Monday!
I feel good about it too!

 

[Zeno Marx]

Why wouldn't small businesses run their biggest sales on other days than trying to compete with the giants? Especially when a lot of your customer base is a captive audience, receiving email updates, etc. I'll ask it again: wouldn't they get more sales if they dropped their 1-2Xs/year 10-20% sale in the middle of an otherwise dead week? Black Fridays and Cyber Mondays are frantic. I don't really want to do my fun shopping in the middle of chaos. I want to contemplate and enjoy.

addendum: and giving me a dozen hours isn't enough to bite. tell me about the upcoming sale a few days in advance so I can get my order fully flushed out. But I'm one of those people who shops for a LONG time before I commit to anything. I buy very little on a whim.

 

[Zanaspus]

Props on the VU reference!

 

[Zeno Marx]

Geez. It's not enough that my message box is inundated on the daily with sales from tobacco dealers. It's not enough that blenders went down the "small batch" route and limited editions. Now we need to dedicate a day for a blend? Sorry for the language, but what F'ing drama queens. National X Day? I could almost...ALMOST...handle it for a blend like the original BS759 that has spawned many-a tributes and stories of old, but something as new as ten years old? This jumped the shark into ridiculousness. This is the kind of stuff that really turns me off to a hobby and makes me feel it turned a corner onto a street I don't want to visit. Of course, I'm not going to stop smoking a pipe because of maneuvers like this. Just no respect for it.

 

[Singed]

Yeah the Plum Pudding Day thing, it is a real calendar mark in the UK, here it's a marketing excuse. I just file it and the pressure with it under "pointless Hallmark hype", alongside all the other holiday hype in the world. It's a big file but it empties directly into the sewer main.

 

[Singed]

I just realized you're speaking of St' Valentine's Day sales. No matter, my policy remains the same.