Table for Mr. Jackson
Is a well-greased palm the key to a life of priviledge? Tom Chiarella, writing in Esquire, heads out in New York with a stack of $20 bills to find out. The short answer? It works, unless you’re asking someone to something that might cost them their job.
I always grease Bobby H., the bellman at my hotel, and on my first night, within minutes of the pass, he suggested that I might request a room upgrade. He even gave me a room number to ask for. Another twenty at the desk and I was out of two queens, snug in my one king. The next day, we ran the same drill, and wham, I was in the minisuite. The twenty after that, I was in a full suite with a view of Times Square. We used a different desk guy each day. When you’re passing twenties, Bobby H. told me, you have to spread the wealth. “It’s a one-time trick,” he said. “You don’t want anyone to catch on.” Somehow he managed to take a twenty each time, having caught on fully some time ago.
However, Chiarella is a bit less successful in buying favors during a trip west. (via kottke)
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Rounding up
The ubiquitous .99 typically tacked onto prices may be going the way of the gas station attendant and the credit card imprint device. Consumers Reports Money blog notes that a couple of news organization have reported that some British retailers are shunning the .99 for the “round pound.”
There appear to be a number of reasons behind the switch, a major one being that consumers are no longer fooled into thinking that £1.99, for example, is really significantly less than £2. The higher price may actually seem more honest.
Seems like a great idea. Let’s bring it across the pond. And the first place to implement it should be on the 9/10 of a cent we pay on each gallon of gas.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Car killer: the video
Since my post a couple of days ago that detailed how auto dealers can commit vehicular homicide by pouring a solution into the engines of “clunkers,” I’ve spotted this video of what happens after the car poison is administered.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Circuit City liquidation disappointing
I ventured out to a local Circuit City a few days ago to see if there were any bargains as liquidators sell off the company’s inventory. I didn’t find much. Most of the merchandise is reduced by 10 percent, but the mark-downs are based on full retail prices. Prior to its forced liquidation, Circuit City regularly offered good sale prices.
I bought a Panasonic HDTV at Circuit City in November for $799, which was such a good deal that the guy who checked me out called over a manager to double-check the price. On Saturday, it was marked at $1299. Even with the 10 percent discount, it was no bargain.
Our retail reporter, Jennifer Palmer, visited Circuit City last week and found shoppers unimpressed with the prices. Several news organizations have produced stories showing similar disappointment with the lack of deals.
CNN reports that liquidators, who buy out the company stock and then sell it off, don’t give the stuff away.
Because the liquidators don’t want to lose money, it’s not uncommon for clearance sales to begin at 10% to 30% off for the first few weeks, with deeper discounts staggered over the period closer to the end of the closeout sale.
However, (George) Whalin (president and CEO of Retail Management Consultants), said liquidators sometimes set those discounts based on manufacturers’ prices – which can be 10 percent to 15 percent higher – rather than the price at the store when it closed.
Consequently, he said, consumers could end up paying more than they would have just before the “out-of-business sales” signs went up.
The key for bargain hunters is exercising patience. Liquidators will offer deeper markdowns.
Don Mecoy
Business Writer
Dig deep for discounts
So the after-Christmas season is upon us. I, like many, had a few things to return, a few sales to check out and expectations of huge post-holiday discounts.
Friday afternoon, I ventured out to some of the larger retailers such as Walmart and Target. I had returns to make at both and was pleasantly surprised there was no one in the return lines. I expected to have to wait in long lines, herded by store personnel to open return registers, similar to last year. But it is as obvious now as it was a month ago, that consumers were just not spending money this holiday season and therefore now have less to return.
The economy also has another obvious effect. Discounts, on top of discounts. I made today my non-return day and took some time to peruse through my favorite stores to see if the sales were worth the wait. Stores did not disappoint. At Quail Springs Mall, where shoppers came out in droves, there was no mistaking that retailers had intentions of clearing out their merchandise. The biggest discounts hovered around 75% off. Others offered deals like buy 1, get 1 free, 50% off, and 20% off already reduced clearance.
The rub: Shoppers have to be willing to dig deep for merchandise. Shelves were ransacked or bare, clothes were more mixed than matched, and items that were left look a bit … handled. Shoppers looking for Christmas season merchandise may already be too late. Most trees are gone, and ornaments and gift-wrapping will soon be gone for the year.
Overall, sales truly rivaled those of Black Friday, but the treasures just a bit harder to find.
Above: Shoppers kept Quail Springs Mall busy well into Saturday night.
Above: Department stores’ shelves are now bare where seasonal merchandise was stocked and heavily discounted.
-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
Starbucks closings set for Friday
The time has come for several metro-area Starbucks locations to close their doors for good.
Starbucks in July released its plan to close some stores across the U.S.
Regulars of these locations, including two in Edmond, one in Del City and four in Oklahoma City will have to find another shop to satisfy their caffeine fix.
On Friday, four of these stores will shut off their espresso machines and steamers for the last time. These include:
15th and Santa Fe, Edmond
Danforth and Santa Fe, Edmond
NW 122 and Pennsylvania, Oklahoma City
Broadway Extension and Britton Road, Oklahoma City
Is there a silver lining? A barista at one of the Oklahoma City locations said there were some good deals to be had, while other merchandise will be moved to other stores. Just in time for Christmas, customers can get mugs from $5, syrups for $3, Christmas ornaments for $4 and 20% off other selected merchandise. Their Christmas Blend coffee is also on sale.
If you or someone on your gift list is a coffee enthusiast, you may want to check out the deals at your nearest closing Starbucks. But act quickly, they won’t be there after Friday.
Metro-area locations to remain open include:
NW 36 and May Avenue
Reno Avenue and Mickey Mantle
Interstate 40 and MacArthur Boulevard
Northwest Expressway and Independence
Northwest Expressway and MacArthur Boulevard
Northwest Expressway and Rockwell Avenue
NW 63 and Western Avenue
May and Grand avenues
I-240 and S Pennsylvania Avenue
SW 89 and Western Avenue
SE 29 and Air Depot
Memorial Road and Pennsylvania Avenue
Memorial Road and MacArthur Boulevard
Memorial Road and Bryant Avenue, Edmond
15th and Broadway, Edmond
Second and Bauman, Edmond
University of Central Oklahoma
Area Target stores
Penn Square Mall
-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
Dillard’s, Macy’s face off
Where high-end purses are big business for the holidays, retailers also recognize the down trend in the economy and are trying to move merchandise.
Over the weekend, Dillard’s had an advertised sale on all their purses, including Coach and Dooney & Bourke. Customers could get 30% off any bag, on top of any existing discounts, through today (Monday). When Macy’s caught wind of what their competition was offering, they jumped aboard and offered the same in an unadvertised sale, which also ends today.
An employee behind the Coach counter of Macy’s at Penn Square Mall Saturday said when customers came to her counter and talked about what Dillard’s was offering, Macy’s had to compete … and so they did.
Be on the lookout for unannounced sales in the future. Stores have to stay competitive in this economy and the consumer may be in the position to win out.
-Erica Smith, Copy Editor
