Anyone notice more discounting?

[Phil Thien]

So this last weekend both of my local woodworking shops (Rockler and Woodcraft) had pretty good promotions, a little better than what I've seen in a while. Harbor Freight, too. Ace hardware has a $5 off $25 coupon on their web site. I've noticed some pretty decent deals at other retailers I watch, too.

Anyone else notice any good deals lately?

[David Weaver]

I've noticed that just about everyone that retails now, clothes, tools, whatever, has increased prices signficantly and has increased coupons significantly, too.

I think in the end, if you're not a super coupon shopper, it's hard to tell if at the end of the day if you use a coupon sometimes and sometimes you need something that you can't use a coupon on. It discourages me from shopping regularly, though, because I feel like the asking price on anything not on sale has been pushed so high to make up for the coupons that it's not even worth looking.

I have a rockler right up the road from me. The stuff that's not on sale is at such a nosebleed price, that anything that HD has is *much* cheaper - sometimes by the coupon level, and HD's prices aren't exactly rock bottom, either.

I would much rather all of the retailers would go back to an old price model where the regular prices are lower and you don't have to fart around with coupons.

[David G Baker]

I was in Lowe's the other day and noticed that prices are at least 20% higher than they were the last time I shopped there. Wonder where the retailers heads are? Won't be long before they go the way of many of the restaurants in my area.

[Phil Thien]

I would much rather all of the retailers would go back to an old price model where the regular prices are lower and you don't have to fart around with coupons.

I agree.

It sure doesn't seem like retailers are very creative. They all, more or less, follow the same model. I know it has worked well for them.

Yet I'm surprised more of them don't offer a hybrid experience. For example, Rockler or Woodcraft could offer a membership to a "wholesale club." Charge $25 or $50/year, and provide the same discount (15 to 25%) that the coupons provide, every single day.

It works for Sam's, Costco, and Amazon Prime. You pay a little more to save a little more.

BTW, has anyone noticed Amazon Prime is cutting the shipping deals? Heavy items now often seem to take 2-3 days for delivery, and upgrades to overnight delivery are gone. And there has been no Saturday delivery (is that just around the holidays? I thought I had done Saturday delivery other parts of the year in the past).

[Myk Rian]

I was in Lowe's the other day and noticed that prices are at least 20% higher than they were the last time I shopped there. Wonder where the retailers heads are? Won't be long before they go the way of many of the restaurants in my area.
The holidays are approaching. Get the prices up now, so they can run sales later.

[Bryan Morgan]

Its a buyers market, thats for sure. Nobody I know seems to have any money so I can't imagine these stores are doing very well... Doing what they have to do to stay afloat. I've also noticed customer service almost everywhere has been noticeably improved, almost to the point of being annoying at some places.