In This Economy, Retailers Are Smart To Bargain

The dress was adorable -- the last of its kind and on sale for 50% off.

The ladies who work in this store must be screened for the excessive pushiness friendliness and hovering genes, not to mention Ethel Merman loudness and Fran Drescher shrillness.  Although it's a challenge, I visit this place occasionally because:

1. They have nice clothes
2. Sometimes their nice clothes are on sale
3. They have a store dog

On this particular day (unfortunately, the dog's day off) I tried on the pink and black tweed Dress That Harked Back to the Days When My Father Forbade Me To Wear Miniskirts, ignored Ethel Drescher's stentorian declaration that my legs were perfect for such a short dress, and contemplated spending 50% off the original price of $XXX,XXX,XXX⁰⁰ (more or less), when

BANG!

I discovered a second price tag showing that the manufacturer believed this dress should cost $100 less than the Little Shop of Shrillness was asking.

This led me to the following questions:

1. How much charm will it take to persuade Fran Merman to honor the 50% off sale on the lower price?
2. How in G-d's name did this dress hang on a rack for months with nobody noticing its dueling price tags?
3. Wouldn't it be easier for Nancy Pelosi to remain standing rather than bouncing up and down as if fire ants were in her lap?
4. If Ethel-Fran offered to sell me the dress at 50% off the lower original price, should I take it just for the thrill of bargaining?

Here's the answer:

Fran-Ethel's momma didn't raise no fool.  And neither did mine.

Have you ever bargained in a retail store?

Comments

[Skip]

Number three... number three!!! Fire ants - LMAO

What's this bargaining idea? I'm a guy... ya need something, ya buy it.

[feefifoto]

Skip, I think it's that hunter/gatherer thing going on. We women like the thrill of the hunt, followed by the retelling (and retelling) of the conquest story.

[Sue]

That's great you bargained for it. No I'm not good at bargaining. I think I would point it out though if there was a mistake. If they didn't give it to me, I probably wouldn't buy it. But I'm not good at just bartering for something.

[Julia Smith]

'ignored Ethel Drescher's stentorian declaration that my legs were perfect for such a short dress' - LOL!

This whole post is hilarious. And yay on your dress bargain. I'm definitely not a bargainer. No haggling for me. If I like something and think the price is do-able, I'll buy it with the least amount of talking possible.

[feefifoto]

Luckily it wasn't much of a haggle, although I have been known to haggle loudly at times. This time I got away with staring her down, implying that I would have walked away if she didn't offer me satisfaction.

[Megan]

There was a big article in the Washington Post in the last few weeks about how you can (and should) bargain for everything these days. The author haggled for everything from better cell phone service to an additional 20% off of shoes already on sale. He got it pretty much every time, so you are not alone.