Shop till you drop at big sale

JAKARTA (JP): Pop quiz for the day: What are three things that can make people jump out of their seats?

Answer: Fire, bomb and... sale!

While "fire" and "bomb" scare everybody and make them scream "Oh, NO," the other word makes them happy and shout loudly "Oh, YES". Sale is a magic word that brings hope and joy. Those who do not have enough money to buy certain products, especially branded items, at the normal price now have the hope of acquiring them.

No wonder outlets are usually packed during the sale season and the shoppers do not mind being sandwiched by others (unlike the crowd in Tanah Abang or any traditional market those hunting for discounted branded products usually smell good as they wear expensive perfume). They do not mind spending huge sums of money -- even though they do not have any cash -- thanks to credit cards.

"She spent about a million rupiah to buy clothes in a sale," a friend commented about her sister-in-law who was broke. "She's just got a job, and pay day is still a few weeks away. She bought a lot of things anyway with her credit card."

And who can blame her if the ad says: "Big Sale. Up to 70 percents Off?" This is a golden opportunity nobody should miss.

There are some smart people who buy things they really want and need during the sale season. But there are also others who shop till they drop, not because they need the items, but because they believe they are "cheap".

Ellen, an expat, prefers to go to factory outlets to buy clothes at lower prices. She said that there was a time when she drove from Jakarta to Bandung and spent the whole day shopping.

"I got my car full of things I bought there, mostly clothes," she said, and quickly added "But I did it only once."

Some people have other reasons to buy things they do not really need. Not because they want to donate them to the scavengers who check their garbage cans every morning, or to the beggars who ask for small change when their cars stop at a road junction. No, they shop because they are lured by the special offers that they will get if they spend a certain amount of money.

"If you spend Rp 100,000 you will get a stamp," my friend Dina told me about a promotion being held by a certain beauty products' manufacturer. After you collect six stamps, you receive a membership card which comes with a voucher for Rp 50,000 which is redeemable if you spend at least Rp 100,000.

"I only spent Rp 170,000, so the shop attendant tried to persuade me to spend another Rp 30,000 so that I could get another stamp. But I refused," she said.

Not all shoppers are as "strong" as her. There are others who cannot resist the temptation to get the voucher as they believe that this is a smart way to shop.

The word sale automatically brings to mind discounts. This is true for selected products. But not every "Sale" is a real sale as the concept of a sale is applied somewhat differently here.

"In America, you can get a Donna Karan top for only five dollars, or a pair of Calvin Klein jeans for 20 dollars," another friend quoted her American colleague as saying.

In a country with four seasons, the designers launch new products every season. When the season is over, the items which are still in stock are usually sold in the sales.

Here, you may see the same items put on sale several times. There are also things which are on sale but the price is just the same.

"I bought a shirt in a prestigious shopping mall for Rp 200,000. On the following week, I read a 'Sale' sign and I rushed in. There was a sign of '50 percent discount', but the price was just the same," Dina sulked.

Of course, not all merchants play such dirty tricks - some are honest and when they put things on sale, they really mean it. And there are also smart buyers like Dina - after she found that one of the items of clothing on sale was being sold at the normal price, she refused point blank to buy anything.

She is, however, still awaiting the next sale.

-- T. Sima Gunawan