Smart buys?

COME festive season and there is joy and expectancy in the air as men, women and children throng the busy shopping areas looking for a chance to buy things cheap. The maxim of "simple living and high thinking" has been replaced today by consumerism and we have become slaves to brand names. In our craving for a better standard of living, we surround ourselves with more and more goods, not always necessary, but which we hoodwink ourselves into believing that we cannot do without. Acquisition of goods which are the "neighbour's envy, and owner's pride" has become a priority in our lives. Therefore a sale is a welcome announcement.

A sale is a chance to buy goods at a significant rebate, a chance to buy brands which are otherwise beyond our reach. But it is equally important that we in our enthusiasm are not taken for a ride by unscrupulous traders. What is needed is the ability to distinguish between a real sale and a dubious one.

For instance, an apparel shop with branches in many parts of the city has an annual sale on Vinayaka Chathurthi day. This is a day that many wait for, as former experience has proved to them that it is a genuine sale. People can be seen jostling each other as they try to pick up fancied items otherwise unaffordable. The excitement on their faces proves how happy and satisfied they are as they leave the premises with light wallets but lighter hearts.

Even fastidious customers are satisfied when a sale is genuine. A cardiologist from Hyderabad was spotted catching up with his Christmas shopping at a sale in Pondy Bazaar. He said, "I have compared prices and quality and I feel this particular sale of men's, women's and kids' clothes is genuine. Prices have been slashed and what would have otherwise made a hole in my pocket is now really affordable."

The same could not be said about a sale at Casa Major Road held recently by a reputed textile company. While customers trustingly selected saris from the wide range on display, a woman was heard protesting that a replica of a sari she had purchased from the company's showroom at Anna Nagar for Rs. 205 was marked at Rs. 250 after discount. "How can the after-rebate seconds' sale price be higher than its showroom price?" The protest fell on deaf ears as the largely Hindi-speaking salespersons turned away with alacrity to serve other customers.

A footwear shop at Alsa Mall caters for the upper class, but it has a permanent sale going on at a shed right behind, patronised by all. The proprietor is forthright when he explains that his policy is not to allow stocks to accumulate and one is left wondering if this is not a better business strategy.

When it comes to consumer durables, one has to be extra cautious. Buying electronic and electrical goods at a seconds' sale is risky as there generally is no warranty for the goods sold. A lecturer of a city college confessed that she had bought a refrigerator at a year-end sale. It was from a reputed company and she was happy to save a few hundreds. But soon the paint peeled off and the metal body began to rust. Now she is more careful about sales.

From the trader's perspective the sale is a chance for the company or shop to improve its turnover, especially during the festive season. What is lost in terms of profit per item is more than made up by the increased number of items sold.

Some shops organise an annual sale: either an anniversary sale or a year-end sale, or even a New Year bumper sale. There could be various reasons for it: the need to clear stocks, boost dwindling sales, earn customer goodwill or even advertise its existence.

Seconds' sales are organised by companies which are highly sensitive to their reputation but at the same time need to dispose off products which do not meet their standards of perfection.

Whatever be the reason for a sale, the companies or shops should be careful not to tarnish their reputation in a highly competitive market. The customer is now the king and should never be allowed to leave with a feeling of dissatisfaction.

This can happen if prices are artificially hiked up for the rebate; if substandard goods are sold to the gullible or if old stock is passed off as new. To avoid this, companies should take care not to hand over their sales to unscrupulous organisers who are keen on making a fast buck.

When it is a seconds' sale, the customer should be informed about the nature of the defeat and in all fairness be allowed to decide if the price rebate adequately compensates for the defect.

In the long run, this will surely prove profitable to the companies for they would have gained the trust and loyalty of their customers.

A word of caution to the shoppers too. Before deciding to spend at a sale, they need to think seriously. It would be good if they could compare pre-sale prices with prices offered at a sale. This would give them an idea about how genuine the discounts are. Also, people have to be careful of loud advertisements which announce huge discounts but with a microscopic "upto" prefixed to it.

Similarly they should be wary of discount offers with easy-to- miss qualifiers like "on select items only." Such a sale could mean that very old or damaged stock is being offered at a discount in a mixed display. Shopkeepers know well that once an item has caught the fancy of a customer, he is sure to buy it, however high the price or however low the discount. Very few who enter a sale leave empty-handed.

So now, with three major festivals - Christmas, Id-ul-Fitr and Pongal - round the corner, wouldn't it be worthwhile to reflect well before going on a spending spree?

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