[Drivingforfun]

There are a few shops I find always have a sale on, to the point where, unless there was a sudden urgency, I'd almost say it foolish to pay full price.

I almost always wear Levi's jeans, I'm not into brand names, just found them a good fit and dependable - all other Jeans last me about 3-6 months or less before splitting at the crotch. I have purchased maybe 20 pairs over time but never bought a pair full price.

They're officially £100 but I've never paid more than £60. They seem to be on sale more often than they're not.

The sale is meant to make us think we've got a limited chance to get more for our money, but I've gone the other way in that I view the sale as the baseline and full-price as a limited window within not to buy

Has anyone found similar?

I can think of a few other stores, obviously lots of bed/mattress shops, Sports Direct shoes/trainers...

Being subscribed to their emails... I also want to say the RAC 😏 don't shoot me!!

[Rolebama]

We had a shoe shop local to where I used to live that had a sale that lasted over the twenty years I lived there. Spring Sale, Summer sale, Winter sale, Stock Clearance sale, and one for every month as well as holidays. The joke was that two miles up the road there was another shoe shop where they stocked pretty much the same range, cheaper. Yet the 'sale' shop was always busy.

[olduser]

Just out of interest I looked up the rules for sales in the UK;

"In the UK, the sale of goods is governed by several laws and regulations designed to protect consumers and ensure fair trading. Key rules related to sales, especially when goods are offered at a lower price, include:

1. **Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008**:
- Prohibits misleading commercial practices, including false claims about discounts or price reductions.
- Sellers must not deceive consumers about the nature or extent of a sale or discount.

2. **The Consumer Rights Act 2015**:
- Ensures that goods sold are of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose, and match the description.
- If goods are sold at a discount, they must still meet these standards unless explicitly stated otherwise.

3. **Pricing and Sale Signage Rules**:
- Prices must be clearly displayed and accurate.
- If an item is reduced, the original price must be shown alongside the sale price, so consumers can see the discount.

4. **Misleading Price Indications**:
- It's illegal to falsely inflate the original price to make a discount appear more significant (known as "price fixing" or "artificial inflation").
- Any sale price must be genuine and not misleading.

5. **The Price Marking Order 2004**:
- Requires traders to display the selling price clearly and prominently.
- Also covers the display of unit prices to help consumers compare products.

6. **Restrictions on Promotional Offers**:
- Offers must be genuine and not mislead consumers about the availability, duration, or conditions of the sale.

**Summary:**
In essence, when offering goods at a lower price, UK law mandates transparency, honesty, and clear communication. Sellers must avoid misleading practices, ensure prices are genuine, and properly advertise discounts. Consumers are protected against false claims and unfair practices through these regulations.

If you're a seller or consumer seeking detailed advice, consulting the specific legislation or legal advice may be beneficial."

I think about 1998 UK and the EU banned Retail Price Maintenance (RPM).
Prior to that manufacturers and importers would set a Recommended Retail Price (RRP), if retailers undersold, the supplier could and in the case of larger retailers often did refuse to supply them.
There was no law as such to support this action but having to sell at RRP would be in the suppliers small print.
This in effect controlled a retailers profit per item.

Of course, large outlets could negotiate deals at special RRP and I think supermarkets were the main offenders at quoting an original price far above the RRP and then offering a sale price lower.

Once supermarkets became sufficiently powerful, they started to, and still do, tell manufacturers they (the manufacturer) are going to fund a sale, meaning the supermarket is going to pay less per unit, (to offer it at a sale price) at no loss of profit to the supermarket.
The manufacturer may decide to stand the loss or to take value out of the goods until the sale is over.

I did notice on the news, when Trump started his tariffs game, the reporter was trying to put some background into Trump's arguments.
In doing so, he mentioned high priced Trainers, they interviewed a US manufacturer who was complaining, what with wages and energy costs he could not compete against imports at a $1 per pair!

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by olduser

I think about 1998 UK and the EU banned Retail Price Maintenance (RPM).
Prior to that manufacturers and importers would set a Recommended Retail Price (RRP), if retailers undersold, the supplier could and in the case of larger retailers often did refuse to supply them.
There was no law as such to support this action but having to sell at RRP would be in the suppliers small print.

RPM was actually made illegal in the UK 30-odd years earlier by the Resale Prices Act 1964. Nothing to do with the EU.

[olduser]

Originally Posted by Beelzebub

RPM was actually made illegal in the UK 30-odd years earlier by the Resale Prices Act 1964. Nothing to do with the EU.

Yes but the UK 1964 act as I remember was largely ignored, manufacturers, and importers continued to impose conditions.

I think the UK proposed fresh legislation to the EU (consumers rights varied across the EU) around 1988 to try to harmonise trading within the EU.

[Beelzebub]

Originally Posted by olduser

Yes but the UK 1964 act as I remember was largely ignored, manufacturers, and importers continued to impose conditions.

I think the UK proposed fresh legislation to the EU (consumers rights varied across the EU) around 1988 to try to harmonise trading within the EU.

It certainly seemed to be ignored by the motor trade.

However, it had a big impact elsewhere. Supermarkets and white-goods sellers, for example, were free to compete on price for the first time, and did.

The Competition Act 1988 also had a big effect, with some big names (e.g. British Airway, Manchester United) fined millions for price fixing.

[Rolebama]

A friend's wife worked for a Japanese white-goods manufacturer. She worked in the department where rrps were set for UK market. A couple of retail outlets asked for a designated suffix on the model numbers, which, at the time, was considered a bit odd. Then the penny dropped as they started to advertize price-matching. Some retailers would buy more units than others, so bought at better discounts, so when retailer A offered to price-match, people went to retailer B to get a better price, then back to retailer A for the price-match. Retailer A would then point out to the customer that the item offered by retailer B was a different model as it did not have the same suffix.

[Santa]

Furniture shops are the ones that I see a lot. Any item that is in the sale must have been offered at the "full" price for some specific time. To get around this, they would have a display at the back with some "full" priced items. These would be on sale at a different branch.

[Rolebama]

@Santa We had a furniture shop that I used to visit often enough when I was in the AA. The staff used to park at the back, near the loading bay and I saw quite a bit of toing-and-froing there. Staff comments led me to believe that because they did not do much trade at that branch, it was a place that everything was marked-up as full price. Probably for the reason you state above.

[Lily]

@Drivingforfun Holland and Barret! Love they always have some BOGOF going on, this weekend I got 2 bottles of Ashwagandha for the price of one. I always wait for them to have a sale or promotion to buy stuff.

[Rolebama]

@Lily Ditto. Omega Oils, and Calcium and Vitamin D for me. (Well I am knocking on a bit now! 😆)

[Lily]

@Rolebama I've been tryng to share a pic with you since yesterday (time to raise a ticket with the tech team), featuring my Vitamin D, Magnesium, Iron and Vitamin B bottles, all purcharsed as part of a BOGOF deal. 😂

A bit of grey here and there just adds character!

[Rolebama]

@Lily Hair colour is a non-conversation in my house. My wife had blonde hair when she was younger, and now with her grey streaks, it looks like she has highlights. My beard and whiskers are white, but my hair has darkened over the years with no bald spots.

[Lily]

@Rolebama It sounds like you guys are aging gracefully, that’s fantastic!

I have very dark hair, so I look a bit like a raccoon now 😂 I’ve been blonde before, so I’m thinking of going back to it, it hides the greys better. My husband has always had grey hairs (since he was a teen), and he is currently sporting a beard so he looks a bit like Santa.

My joints hurt a little just talking about it. XD