My Four Favorite Stupid Sales Promotions

Mix & Match – This is the most bogus promotion ever. First off, unless you are a company made up of morons, you will never have a bunch of leftover boxes to sell. Second, Federal Law now prevents retailers from selling mixed sets because they are tested as matched sets for fire safety. When I worked the floor during one of these promotions I refused to mix. I simply gave customers a matched set for the advertised mix & match sales price. That is always the right and ethical thing to do. When a mix & match promotion is on, usually you are getting a lower quality box. It may be nearly as good, but the cost savings (if any at all) has to come from somewhere. Even if it is structurally comparable to the matching box, why would you want something that looks different? That is just stupid, especially if you can go to the next store and get a comparable or better MATCHED SET for the same or less!

Free Box Spring – THERE IS NOTHING FREE IN THIS WORLD. If the retailer has mattress only tags, see if the mattress by itself is the same price as the set with “FREE BOX SPRING.” This is another in a long line of worthless gimmicks cooked up to get you in a buying frenzy. Take down the information on the set and compare the price to other retailers with comparable products. Purchase from whomever is less and has the best service and assistance.

Same Price Each Piece – Usually you will see this advertised as $99 or $199 each piece. Generally these are the crappiest mattresses in the store and you have to buy them in sets. If you truly have a bedroom that is never used, maybe these will work. But keep in mind, at $99-$199 for a wood box, you are probably overpaying, at the very least, for the twin and full sizes.

Half Off/50% Off/70% Off – The first thing I would ask is off of what? If its truly not the regular, every day price, its meaningless. Usually this is a discount off of some bogus inflated price or suggested retail price. NOBODY ever purchases a mattress at this price. Again, find out what is inside and compare the sales price to comparable mattresses and purchase from the retailer with the best services and price.

I’ve known one chain in the South that has run a 50% off sale for at least the last 3 years. If a retailer did suddenly run a true 50% off sale they would go out of business in no time.