The joys of tracking down a bargain at sales

JAKARTA: Why do store sales generally manage to attract a crowd? Perhaps the answer does not solely lie in the basic reason that people wish to purchase goods at a relatively cheap price.

When sports shop Quantum in Blok M Plaza, South Jakarta, held a sale last October, a unique situation occurred. A woman was on the verge of forcing the salesman to hold onto her ID card while she withdrew money from an ATM machine. It was her way of trying to secure the item for herself so that it would not be sold to someone else while she left the shop to withdraw the money to pay for the item from her bank account.

During the sport shop sale, customers flowed in as though an unstoppable flood. To keep things in order, the staff had to issue queuing tickets for those wishing enter the shop. Remarkably, the customers seemed understand and accept this. They patiently waited their turn to enter the shop, though they did not necessarily buy anything.

Sales seem to have a certain attraction to people. Especially if they are accompanied by performances or shows such as magic shows, fashion shows, the presence of celebrities and so on.

Therefore, the presence of customers is always appreciated, even those not intending to buy anything. For shop owners, the way to maximize product sales is by attracting as many customers as possible, or so research conducted by Entrepreneur magazine concluded. It was found that 70 percent of the decision to actually purchase a product is made when a customer is physically in a shop.

This theory is true even when variety of products are on sale.

"If a shop is having a sale, I always want to know which products are on sale. For example, I might find out that a pair of shoes are on sale and, even if I do not necessarily need them, if they are cheap enough, why not buy them?" commented Banua P. Sianturi, a sales office manager for PT ING Insurance.

Banua perhaps only regards it as a chance where he has the privilege of having lots of choices and when products are offered at a relatively cheaper price. But to other shoppers, sales are a chance to save money.

"To me, sale season is the best time to go shopping. That is when I shop until I drop," said Astrid Soeleman, 23, a public relations staffer at Karavella Restaurant.

The Australian graduate admits that she likes to go shopping but has decided to only shop at sales to allow her to save money.

"When I was a student living far away from my parents, I had to organize my money really well. So when I wanted to buy stuff other than what I needed for school, I patiently waited for the sales to start." For that sole reason, Astrid was willing to fly from the Gold Coast on Australia's east coast to Sydney or Melbourne, which are farther south.

Accountant supervisor Michael, 29, has a similar opinion.

"Sales to me are the perfect answer to being a smart shopper," he said.

Each time he attends a sale, Michael feels the urge to go to other shops or stores also holding a sale in order to compare prices and quality. That way he can really find what he is looking for at a price he considers reasonable. Because, according to him, sometimes prices differ from sale to sale.

Michael developed this habit when attending college in the United States.

"In the States, when there is a sale on, it really is a sale. What I mean is that the products offered on sale are still in perfect condition and the prices offered are less."

In Indonesia, Michael is not convinced that products on sale are in good condition.

According to a professional marketing analyst, Rhenald Kasali, Michael's doubt is natural. Because, unlike in the United States, there are no resolute regulations on sales here.

"In the States, engineering prices, such as raising the price purposely before a sale, is a felony," explained Rhenald.

Nevertheless, shoppers here always look forward to the sale season. Especially if they yearn to buy a certain product that is normally rather expensive. Also, shoppers know what kind of sale they are waiting for. They do not enter just any store with a sale sign displayed. Due to their experiences, which they acquire either during their school days or from overseas, shoppers admit that they are not easily tempted by sale offers which appear dubious.

"Especially those stores which offer hold sales all year round," said Banua. If a shop always has a sale sign displayed, in Banua's opinion, it probably only has one size for all its products or it sells seconds.

"Perhaps more reliable sales are those like clearance sales or closing down sales. Because they really have to finish their stock," he added.

It also depends on one's perspective of a product's price. If prices are related to fluctuations in the currency's value against foreign currencies, for example before the monetary crisis, the percentage of a discount can really be noticed.

But in Banua's opinion, the monetary crisis is not obvious in shopping malls because there are always many people in malls. "Those who usually go overseas to purchase branded items now prefer to shop here," Banua said.

Apart from giving customers a certain satisfaction, sales are also a unique experiences for those able to appreciate them.

"I feel good when I can purchase an expensive product at a cheaper price," Michael said.

"I use to yearn for these Italian made shoes, but because they were so expensive, all I could do was hope they would be on sale next time. Weeks later, the shoes I wanted were on sale. I was so happy at that moment," added Astrid.

To psychologist Yanti Sugarda, the issue is clear. In the human mind, there is a need for efficiency in expenditures, which can be expressed in one's ability to manage one's financial affairs. She adds that this is one of the reasons people rush to sales. "There is a certain pride in achieving something great at a lower cost," she further explained.

Yanti also explained that people seem to hunt for sales. "But the object is not necessarily required. For example, when one is simply strolling around and notices a sale, one might regret not purchasing anything. So it is a development from efficiency, and one may pride oneself on getting something at a lower price than other people. So there is also a competitive aspect to it," she added.

Of course, one's own pride, even if it is not really significant, like the ability to buy things at a lower price than other people, is enough to make life more meaningful. Isn't it true?

This article was taken from the December edition of Tiara lifestyle magazine. It is printed here courtesy of Tiara.