Shoes on Sale
Shoes on Sale

My husband has recently gotten on this kick to work out  now that our apartment complex has a gym with a few great machines, such as a treadmill and elliptical trainer. I think it’s terrific, especially since I really want him to ride his bike more often with me and not get worn out before completing a journey. Working out will help build up his endurance. But he realized that out of all the shoes he owns (which is more than me!), he didn’t have any sneakers.

So we rode over to Big 5 since they practically host a shoe sale on a daily basis. He found a comfortable pair of LA Gear’s on sale for $21.99, but they didn’t have his size. So he asked the attendant for a similar shoe in his size and preferably for the same sales price. The salesman offered up a similar pair, but for three times the amount! My husband asked if he could pay the last sales price on the shoes, since they were offering a similar pair on sale. After checking with the store manager, we purchased the pair for 2/3rd’s the price. The sneakers dropped from $54.99 to $21.99 all because my husband thought to ask!

Moral of the story: When shopping at Big 5, be sure to ask if you can purchase the item in question for the last sales price. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
This isn’t the first time we’ve thought to ask about an upcoming sale or buying an item for the last sales price. It’s amazing how flexible some stores are with their prices.

Have you had a similar experience?

12 Comments

  1. I am such a wimp about asking for things like this. But you’re right, it does work. Especially if an advertised item is out of stock, stores will often allow you to purchase a similar item for the same price…if you ask. Wimpy me.

    • @Lindy Mint – I’m just beginning to get aggressive and make sure I assert myself whenever I can save money. But I wasn’t always this way; in the past I was a bit mousy!

  2. Squirrelers Reply

    It doesn’t hurt to ask, I agree. No question about that, for most consumer situations. I recall something similar I did, though I was asking for sale prices for items that were to be on sale coming up. It was actually the associate that notified me that the clothes I was going to purchase were to be on sale the next day. He suggested I come back the next day, but was cool and told me that he could give them to me at that price. Again, it doesn’t hurt to ask!
    .-= Squirrelers´s last blog ..Dividing an Inheritance with Siblings =-.

    • @Squirrelers – That’s a good point. Sometimes the associate can tell you the specific date of a sale and if it’s convenient, you could go back. I’ve rarely received the sales price ahead of time, but it never hurts to ask!

  3. Nice! You’re right, sometimes it doesn’t hurt to ask. We don’t have a bargaining culture like in Asia, but when a store wants to make a sale… sometimes they will go for it!
    .-= Invest It Wisely´s last blog ..Avoid Bankruptcy the Smartest Way =-.

    • @Invest it Wisely – I’m so bad when it comes to bargaining, however I’m getting a little better as I get older. I think there’s definitely something to be said for getting older; I’m beginning not to care if I offend!

    • @Cole Stan – That might be their M.O, they offer deep discounts on shoes quite frequently. I’m guessing that the mark up on shoes must be pretty high to begin with!

  4. @Sarah – I need to employ this strategy more often. Who knows? I might be able to save a ton of money on everyday items!

  5. I always hesitated to ask for last sold price, Most of the time i never talk to sales people also, just i will enter the stores and get my things and come back….:)

    Beth
    .-= Beth Owens´s last blog ..Symptoms of Ovarian Cysts =-.

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