December 27, 2016
I didn't plan on checking out any other stores to see their sale merchandise but because the last bounce back coupon expires today my husband thought he would take me to try one more, well out of our area. So how could I say no?
This store had a few customers milling around as I started on the first, front doorway 75% off table. There were a few candles without lids, plenty of body lotions, some vanilla bean noel scrubs and a few vanilla bean noel mists. I did find one Gingerbread Latte mist and I put that in my blue bag and moved onto the next table. I was hoping for some shower gels and there were none left from the Holiday Traditions Collection.
The wall for candles had the White Barn colored glass candles at regular prices scattered on the shelves to make it look full. There were some 50% off holiday candles left on the wall, there was a table with 50% off assorted seasons candles and another table with $12.50 candles that just came out. And I noticed that so many candles that had lids were now lidless in this store too. Lid Thieves. B&BW please note...people want lids on candles...To preserve the scent while in storage and to make storage much easier.
The boxes with the lemon pomegranate collection of scents priced at 50% off didn't have many shower gels so I grabbed a few mists only.
There was a plastic table rounder filled with the 4 ounce tester candles (for wallflower smelling) and they were priced $3.00 each. I saw a few tables with fall signature fragrances, and a few with the now leaving signature fragrances. I passed them up.
The hand soap wall was scantily filled with the soaps that I mentioned were coming back and no sign of the new Let's Get Away Hand Soaps. There were $3.00 wallflowers on the wall in the bins as well as a table set up with clearance wallflower units and bulbs. The aromatherapy candles were on the other side of the table next to their matching bulbs. I sniffed each of the aromatherapy candles and loved them all.
A few tables of holiday gift sets and pretty much everything I wrote was coming back, I saw. No fun surprises.
The few new things spotted were out at regular pricing; room sprays, scentportables and a few wallflower units.
I grabbed a bunch of smaller candle jars, a few of the 75% off candles, and as I walked up to the register I spotted the domed pedestal and the white ceramic shell pedestal. I bought that domed pedestal for myself when it originally came out, I guess last year, and I paid the $29.50 price tag because there was only one at the time and I liked it. I haven't decided if I should use it because of all of the pedestals I have, but it is nice to have a second in case I want to sell one or use them as a pair.
Speaking of, my blog sale is ever going....and I am working on adding more of my stash to help thin it down from things I grabbed on impulse and hate to see going unused. I will post a link soon.
Now this:
I wanted to share a few thoughts on this sale and the store in general. I know there have been so many criticisms on social media and it is only day two of the sale...and I guess if I say anything other than it was GREAT it will be considered a criticism as well....But I wouldn't be me if I didn't share my honest thoughts.
I recognize, after many, many years of patronizing the store, that the staff hired to "help" at holiday time really didn't have enough time to be trained on ALL of the procedures of the store. It is NOT their fault for any discomfort a customer may encounter during a visit. They are, sadly, a body to help as best they can. And any failure is on the stores manager.
Now the full/part time regulars who have been with the company DO know the ins and outs so their miss-steps should be taken into account by their manager. If they lack the training necessary to run a store properly...TRAIN them. Or replace them. Just do not subject your customers to nonsense because they are feeling "burned out". Holiday begins early on in the year...maybe September or October, I get it. Manners begin at birth.
And the lying to customers who know that something is suppose to be coming out when they ask the question if it is out yet ---is so SICKENING. Stop it already. Your company instructs you to do so, so you say, and it makes you look foolish when you tell me the LIE and makes me think ... you think I am as stupid. I am not.
Throughout the month of sales I found so much was not out in all stores and I had to visit many to get a few of the things I saw via social media that everyone else had when they should have. I understand shipment issues, and delays due to weather, and I understand store sales levels vary...but I also know that many of the staff never paid attention to what should be out until it was mentioned to them. They complained their back room was too full to look. I don't think I need to go to a store every day to see if a pocketbac is ALLOWED to be out for sale when I see it is EVERYWHERE ELSE. I mean it was Christmas Eve and some of the holiday pocketbacs were still in the back room...because they said they didn't know if they need to come out.
If I were a manager...my team would know what is coming next as well as what is available always. It is their job to know. There wouldn't be so much gossip time on the floor awaiting customers to come, there would be information. That's just my opinion from what I see as I shop. I mean when the manager yells to me a question across the floor for a customer...I'm glad she knows she can ask me, but ...well you get it.
I know your reading this thinking, geesh this lady claims to LOVE this brand yet wow. I share because I do...even though I have been pushed through a lot over it...
Okay, now this Sale.
Wow. What is going on? Who is in charge? And what can we do to make it better?
The stores stock rooms are depleted as are the sales bins and we are in Day Two of sales. And I know I cannot compare Bath and Body Works to other stores that do their clearance at the end of the holiday time but maybe some one should.
I have often said that after Christmas sales here should be just that. SALES. Bring out the junk you pulled off of the shelves after each season left the floor and let's clearance the hell outta of them and MOVE ON.
Have your semi annual sale for two weeks, maybe, and get us set up for the new year...NEW SCENTS.
The stores look terrible in my area. Larger metropolis areas may still be stocked well but that is because people are waiting for the BIG PRICE DROPS.
What I would loved to have seen was 75% off it all. And a nice long table across the inner front line of tables showcasing the new Let's Get Away Signature Fragrances with plenty of colorful marketing for it. It is LOST on the walls and I missed it in the three stores I visited. I had to ask in the store today where it was and the sales associate didn't know it was called that, she said, "oh you mean the tropical scents?"
I would have put the new tropical signatures on the front of the tables and the new wallflowers, scentportables, hand soaps and the room sprays on the back side. Anything that was new for this sale. Give us a sneak peek welcome to 2017 B&BW style to build the excitement.
Everyone checking out at the register thought those new items were all on clearance too. Not just the body care at 50% off.
Here we are in day two and the walls are barren. I know people shop when they see bunches of things making them want to come into a store. Empty walls is not a draw for me as I have no plans to visit again any time soon. An oddity for me since I usually go everyday at sale time.
This sale is suppose to last (drag on) until January 22nd. And I was told the last day of new shipments for it is January 7th. If that is true....UGH.
Is it me or does it seem that there is a lag in getting new to the stores ready to go. Christmas stuff filled back rooms but then it stops and back rooms are emptied and the same ole is getting more and more damaged in the bins as customers riffle through looking for that one great thing.
Add to that now the idea of eliminating the coupon at checkout. So many different (ha ha ) explanations of why. Everything from being more cost effective as they cost too much to print...to recycling issues... Good Grief. With NO explanation from the company at all. Just various reasons from store staff...to nothing at all when asked.
A few people have posted the next coupon on social media and I was told most of the only ten stores nationwide"testing" the coupons.... ha ha again, are set up on the west coast...these have showed up in TN.
Confusion...
While I have my few survey coupons left to save me money on my purchases and emailed coupons they say is the way they are now going---these will determine how much if any shopping I will now do. Especially with limits on redemption of said coupons. I understand no one is a fan of change and companies do what they do for their bottom line.
I hope they know we are a part of that equation too.