Joined: 26 Jun 2008
Posts: 2
| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 8:03 pm Post subject: new clearance?...wtf | |
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So does anyone understand the new clearance signing and procedures? (The price pointed with no additional off).
Great!, lets hold on to merchandise longer because it didn't sale at sale prices. Now it is supposed to sale at clearance prices that are higher than the old sale price with no chance of additional? Right, lol. We will see how long that lasts. |
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Joined: 12 Dec 2006
Posts: 14
| Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:53 pm Post subject: Re: new clearance?...wtf | |
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They were doing that for a while at my store right before I left. Customers know the Sears way of working clearance, and they were waiting for those additional off signs, so they waited and waited.
Then they all went to zero without the bargain searchers even touching them yet. Fixture upon fixture upon rolling rack, all zero value merchandise sent back via RTV. What a waste. The store recoups nothing on zero value, and it costs them to send it back by the pallet-load. As I was trying to pack it all up somewhat neatly so that something can be salvaged of them, I'm thinking it'd save the store just to build a bonfire out back and burn them for disposal. One of the many things that distressed me about my former job. 
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Joined: 02 Apr 2005
Posts: 124
| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:10 am Post subject: | |
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I understand it, but customers don't. If they complain that it isn't Xtra 50% off, I give it to them.
We can't even price point it because each rack has multiple prices. On Wednesday we will have activated misses sub-pcn's, so none of misses will come up extra off. What a confusing mess, some divisions you get Xtra off, some you don't. |
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Joined: 08 Jul 2003
Posts: 4780
| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:21 am Post subject: by the pallet | |
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RTV-'cost them to send it back by the pallet"
At least you understand that but they are so interested in tax write offs and squeezing every dime(which I heard is about what they get for every dollar sent back)that they WASTE everybody's time. All this stuff should go to a scratch & dent or a regional clearance center or store.It stops customers from working the system and all customers would get a better choice since every store in the area is sending stuff there. But see pulling VOM is only a support and non PA selling task so they will never invest in it. |
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Joined: 14 Jul 2006
Posts: 306
| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 11:38 am Post subject: | |||
It's because once you activate the subs, then the entire % off ends for that department. There's a very specific schedule for pcn's for this week and next week. We usually activate a division at a time and do both subs and initials, but this time we had to do ALL initials for 2, 7, 16, and 31 then go back and do subs. Once you activate those subs, then the % can come down. If you haven't, keep the racks separated...don't mix in initials to the subs rack and keep those % off signs off of them. There's specific directions in alerts...and whatnot. Customers have been very receptive of this and understanding, surprisingly. We've price pointed as well as we can, often doing mass moving around of merchandise to create racks of similiar priced items. It was easy in covington and apostophre (yeah I know I butchered that)...but in classic elements and div 16 it was hard because the initials were kind of random and not a whole lot went. Oh yeah and the very few land's end that went clearance we had to leave on the regular priced rack because it wasn't ringing an additional off and you can't mix LE into d7 or d16. It's been an annoying week. Oh yeah, did you love the price markups they gave us on top of the markdowns?! Honestly! 
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Joined: 05 Dec 2007
Posts: 237
| Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:56 pm Post subject: | |
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I'm not sure if other store do it but Walmart does the price points also. I think Target does the percentage and I'm not sure what Kohl's does.
I wish Sear would make up it's mind on how they want to do this. You get customer train one way and then you screw with their minds and go another way. Price point are more solid then percentage; people would have to stop and think if the percentage are right. |
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Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 65
| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:30 am Post subject: | |
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It's confusing even for the MCAs who have to put the clothes back on the racks. You'd think they would have changed the sticker more than they have (a different color? special text? something). I know the company wants them to "scan it" to determine if it's the extra off or not, but c'mon. Is that really viable? There's like 5 SNCs for the whole store (all locked up where no MCA can ever reach them) and more than half of the registers in the store are broken and can't be used to scan. How exactly are they supposed to determine which clrx item goes where?
And customers... all I have to say is if WE can't figure it out..
This is one of the worst ideas I've ever seen in this company. And I've seen a lot. |
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Joined: 14 Jul 2006
Posts: 306
| Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2008 7:48 am Post subject: | |
Well, if you mark items down in pcn mode, then the tickets would say "aug" for August on them. If I'm not mistaken, I think the only things with August tickets will be the ones without the percentage off, as I don't remember doing big pcns for RTW since July. So, keep your August items together! 
(I can't remember if pink ticketing in regular ticket mode puts the month on it or not.) |
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Joined: 15 Jan 2006
Posts: 65
| Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:51 am Post subject: | |
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Well, it's not quite as difficult to tell as I thought it would be for us associates. The only problem for us is if there's a lot of unmarked clearance (and in my store that's a good half of it at least).
For the customers, however, it's been a huge mess. I've heard customers actually raise their voices and get mad. One poor cashier had a shirt flung at her when she had to explain that there's two types of clearance prices. A lot of people have just said "forget it" and decided not to get whatever it was they wanted to buy. Of course, customers also move clearance around constantly. The few MCAs on the floor have found the new clrx mixed with the old all over the place. It's next to impossible to prevent and only continues to confuse the customer ("but I found it on the 50% off rack!"). Again, one of the worst ideas I've seen this company make.
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Joined: 14 Jul 2006
Posts: 306
| Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 5:31 pm Post subject: | |
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I've seen most customers be a bit confused, but overall understanding. I tell them that the most recent markdown (aug) doesn't have the % off. I guess our store did an okay job keeping it separate. We even tried to keep initials and subs on separate pads and made sure to follow the direction that had short signs for initials, long signs for subs.
I mean, they seemed to plan it well, but I think as soon as we activated a division for initials, they should have taken that % completely off or put the new stuff on 50% off. Too much hassle. Looks good on paper, but you can't put it into action well. |
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Joined: 17 Jun 2008
Posts: 62
Location: nowhereland
| Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 6:36 pm Post subject: | |
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I shop at other stores and they go to 60% on the first
markdown then they do additional % off. Not us... is this the chintziest company or what? They'd rather see it go zero. |
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Joined: 23 May 2008
Posts: 118
| Posted: Sun Aug 24, 2008 9:10 pm Post subject: | |
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Sears has been playing the clearance confusion game for years - they just can't get it together in anyway - such a huge waste of money.
No the tickets do not have months or dates on them in all stores. Softlines MCAs get very few hours and is next to impossible to keep track of the constant changing softlines - huge turnover of merchandise and employees messing it around - and customers mixing it all up too. Managers are idiots about softlines. Cashiers should not just give markdowns! Add in the fact that most stores do not have security - and it is a true mess. Customers KNOW Snears is a big mix up and just steal what they want anyway. |
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