1 /5 Brittany Nowlin: Walked in behind some friends, overheard "something something stickers" and correctly assumed there were sticker sales. The first rack inside the door had red signs hanging all over it saying "CLEARANCE 90% OFF" and listing all the previous vs new prices with that discount. This was the only rack in the store with these signs, plastered on both ends, and mentioned nothing of stickers, though I did scour it looking for some, assuming there were extra special discounts or something. I found no stickers on this rack. I probably spent 15-20 minutes just flipping through this single "clearance" rack. I picked out a sweater (from the sale rack) and some jeans (not on the sale rack) and proceeded to checkout. The sweater was not on sale, and in fact was $23. I asked if there was a mistake as I pulled it off the sale rack, and the girl behind the counter clarified that only things with stickers were on sale. I bought the sweater anyway (for $23) because I am tragically a people pleaser and didnt want to make them do any more work for my misunderstanding. After leaving, I considered how I had been intentionally bamboozled by the store. The advertisement was certainly intentional to fool people like me who are too embarrassed to have fallen for this misdirection to argue ethics of marketing. At the end of the day, I paid $23 for a sweater with a large, dark stain on the side of the hood that I hadnt noticed in store. The sweater retails brand new for $30.
Dont be afraid to ask as many clarifying questions as you can about their "sales" BEFORE you shop, less you fall victim to their absolutely intentional scam.
Or, just go to Goodwill for hidden treasures at a fraction of the cost.
