Sale!Sale!Sale!

Email life's easier with the use of filters. I have an email folder specifically for fashion/retail/shopping subscriptions. Everyday for the past maybe three weeks, the amount of offers, discounts and coupons I've been receiving has probably doubled if not tripled. Check out the slide show of some I got from just this morning.

It was not like this last year. The industry I work for is bleeding. Bad. The goal is to entice and lure people into stores, tempt them with deals and "savings" in the hopes that they leave the store with a buy. The tendency to spend more than what was initially intended is a lot higher.with coupons. Let's say you have a $10 coupon on a purchase of $30 or more. A shirt would be $29.99 so you throw in a pack of tights that's $12 to make up for that 1 penny. You feel kind of good getting those tights for "free" when you really spent around $2 over budget. Money spent is not money saved regardless of the amount. Get the idea? Sometimes you even justify a purchase because of "I had a coupon to use" (my bad) .A lot of websites are also offering free shipping terms!!! Friends and family invites used to be limited, now everyone has them. I went to Neiman Marcus last weekend. All contemporary designers (Vince, Theory, DVF, MbyMJ etc...) were 40% off!!! Again, I've never seen a markdown like that this early on seasonal/current merchandise. I almost splurged on an Alice + Olivia coat. Key word being ALMOST. If not for Paris, that would have been mine. *snaps* for will power. I don't think all these marketing schemes are working though. *sigh* I'm expecting to kiss my Christmas bonus goodbye (not that it was ever wow to begin with). Now would've been such a good time to be shopping though with all the RED signs I'm seeing.

*sob* Club Monaco *sob*

Are you guys also cutting back???