During this time of year, the world goes a little mad. This madness has only increased in recent years as materialism increases. I am of course talking about the Boxing Day sales. Living in the UK, I remember the days that I would awake in the morning to find bags of clothes that my parents had risen early in the morning to go and buy for me.
Now as a student, with tuition fees and living costs leaving me with almost zero purchasing power, the sales are meaningless. Nevertheless, the shift towards online sales extravaganzas means my junk email inbox is littered with promotions. That is all well and good, companies send emails to inform their customers of sales but what really annoys me is when the sales are fake.
There are certain companies which are my go to for clothes. You can imagine the type. Typical online retailers catering for students/young adults. The funny thing is that almost every week of the year, they send emails declaring that they have some sort of sale. So when it comes to the traditional time of year when sales are in fashion, their marketing campaign really needs to step up a gear. Their emails are identical to the ones they send all year round so there is nothing to really entice regular customers. On further inspection, the items that were on sale last week are still there, at the same price. Perhaps a handful of new additions have been made to the products on sale but nothing substantial. So the email blaring out amazing sale is simply a facade which is meant to play on our weaknesses as materialistic humans.
Did I mention that it is not even boxing day yet? With the rise of online shopping, it seems retailers are becoming even more afraid of losing their customers to other businesses. So they all compete to start their sales as early as possible. First, it was 5am on Boxing Day. Then it became 12am. Now it has expanded to Boxing Day week. For some, it is one long month from Black Friday to Boxing Day and oh let’s not forget, new year sales and then the ‘sale outlet.’
There’s little wonder why some people want the government to ban shops from opening on Boxing Day. Although other than keeping people at home, it won’t really reduce the heightened sense of materialism that exists around this time. All it takes is a simple check of your emails before you are inundated with requests to visit the sale page of every retailer in the country.
The fact is, there are endless calls decrying the materialistic atmosphere of the holiday period but year on year, it only becomes worse. There is hope though, as consumers become more aware of the tactics used by those cheeky little retailers (not all are bad), then it is hoped that we will begin to see a shift away from this year sale mania. It won’t happen anytime soon though…
Until Next Time
A Worried Student
A WORRIED STUDENT 
The fake sales have been noticed here in the States as well. In fact, news reports showed four very large and popular retailers were guilty of it. Penalties have been imposed; a lawsuit has been filed.
What was recommended by the consumer news correspondents was uniform: Compare prices to the “recommended manufacturing sales price” to determine whether there really *has* been a mark down.
I remember my final comprehensive business course required a team effort in putting together a business plan and report that used all the business disciplines. The Marketing student told us about the standard practice of listing an item at a particular price point that *seemed* like a sale price but was not. Perhaps we should be going after the standard practice of fake incentives.
Be diligent – research before you buy.
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That sounds great. I’ve noticed retailers like Amazon even go about using fake incentives in their ‘Lightning deals’. Hopefully the clampdowns will work.
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We’ll see. Money is becoming very scarce and the lengths some to use to gain more in order to survive grow each day. It’s distracting and a real time waster in many ways.
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Well said.
I want to add to something as perusal – and if anything, to make my comment more substantial! – but nope. *nods head at le post*
(Well, I guess I could say that I relate to the constant state of broke.)
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Student life 😦
Do some private tuition, rake in the cash and splash it next year like all the…grown ups
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I work at a tuition centre(!) but whatever I earn gets shamelessly blown on chocolate oranges, cheap eyeliner and the occasional “fun” maths book. Also can I just point out that textbooks are remearkably expensive – I recently found this out when I went looking for a mechanics book from a different board and I was like :O
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Aah awesome, have you thought about doing private lessons? Its a much better to make a bit more, especially as a student.
I cannot relate to that, I have never bought a maths text book in my life :p
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Maybe in future but not right now because I’d probably be the reason if the kid failed XD I wouldn’t even pay me.
Surely English UNI textbooks are expensive? Unless you only study novels(?) Wait loophole: you spend the cha-ching on pens because you write masses!
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Haha well as soon as you get enough confidence, don’t hesitate to jump into the private sector.
We don’t really have textbooks, all the theory is usually given in coursepacks and then the rest can be found in the library/online. Some novels can be ridiculously expensive so we tend to just use the library or simply not read them!
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“..or simply not read them” HOW DOTH ONE PASS! Actually iGCSE English I gave up on Nothanger Abbey so I get you. But wait. No actually no I don’t get you. You’re degree level! Good grief!
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Haha well an English degree is completely different and compared to A levels, almost a joke in terms of the work that is actually essential. 4 modules a semester, one book a WEEK per module.
Most coursework: Choose any two texts from the ones we studies to write about this question (list of ten different questions)
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But to a STEM student that sounds enormous. I simply cannot read or write – I’m that deprived of English 😀 well kind of. In French I have to be somewhat creative and thoughtful but it’s tough because I have to have an opinion on a lot of things and be able to respond – something I don’t need to do in physics, for example.
It’s interesting!
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Haha well they say doing an English degree sucks the joy out of reading and writing but lets hope I am still able to do both by the end of this year.
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Good luck! *sends bookwormy vibes – somehow, seeing as I myself have none*
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Thank you thank you, merci merci.
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Derien!
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