Almost Half of Women Won’t Set Foot Inside a Store Without the Promise of a Sale
With the ease that is online shopping, it’s no surprise that brick-and-mortar retailers are suffering. But we didn’t realize it was this bad. Almost half of women — 45 percent — must see a markdown of 41 percent or higher to even enter a store, according to a 2017 report released by First Insight, which polled 1,303 consumers online across America about retail markdowns.
Turns out, you’re not the only one on the hunt for a good deal. On average, across all women’s clothing categories, shoppers were willing to pay just 76 percent of full price.
So why is it that almost all of us are so against full price? One word: Amazon. But also, it’s because we’ve become spoiled by sales. The researchers call this “sale fatigue.” They suggest that with all of the “real and made-up” reasons for sales — one-day sales, anniversaries, Columbus Day, Black Friday, or, heck, some random thing called National Skirt Day — it’s no wonder consumers never want to pay full price when they know another sale is right around the corner.
On the off chance that we do pop in to a store and peruse, 39 percent of consumers are willing to travel to another store to “see if they can buy an item at a cheaper price,” according to the report.
And just because your friend’s closet is full of high-end brand names doesn’t mean she shelled out full price either. The research showed that 45 percent of consumers wait to purchase those brand-name items until they’re on sale, not caring that the item is sooo last season. “This may be why luxury and boutique retailers struggle to gain recognition for offering value to consumers,” the study suggests. In fact, the study found that shoppers turn away from these retailers when looking for the best value — only 6 percent of consumers think luxury brands offer “the greatest value,” and only 3 percent believe that about boutique retailers.
So, where is everyone shopping? Online, with 60 percent of consumers claiming they find the biggest product markdowns there. “One-click shopping makes it easy and convenient for consumers to compare prices and get the lowest price possible, reflecting the markdown lifestyle they’ve become accustomed to,” according to the report.
Now, excuse us while we continue to peruse J.Crew’s latest online-only sale.
Read more from Yahoo Beauty + Style:
Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.
