"Best Deals" - Are they really best for consumer

How to get the "Best Deal"  

"Best Deal" has an amazing effect on consumers. The word acts as a magnet to make consumers get attracted to the sales counters as if there is no tomorrow.

In US, during the 4 day Black Friday weekend sale , 135 million consumers spend over $ 50 billion. Media stories suggest that this has been the busiest shopping period since 2005 and has portrayed hysteria , shortage of stock creating unprecedented impact year on year.

India has followed the trend with hyper retailers like Big Bazar, Shopper's Stop, Hyper City etc announcing season sale days. Google upped the ante in order to bring India's biggest online retailers and ecommerce sites together to offer amazing offers and discounts. Major ecommerce retailers accelerated the trend by bombarding the consumer with disruptive prices and creating their own sales days.

Consumers are normally happy to buy during "Best Deal - Sale". Getting products at disruptive prices gives immense pleasure to shoppers.

Is "Best Deal",  giving you "The Best" that you want ?  

Guidelines to get the best from "Best Deal - Sale"

Most of the brands and retailers (online & in-store) keep running sale periodically to 

(a) liquidate ageing and slow moving inventory 

(b) increase revenue during a low sale period 

(c) increase market share through disruptive pricing. 

While you may get some real good bargains during these period , we suggest you to be cautious and suggest following guidelines to Buy the Best during these sale period.

1) Don't add to cart without checking specifications and quality

Don't add to cart just because everyone is crowding a sale counter or it is a time bound online sales - Check the product specifications and quality before adding to your cart

Beware of the "derivative" products specially manufactured for these sale days with lower specifications. While the products may look similar, the key performance specifications of features may be reduced.

Many brands give in to this demand to match the price and trade margin expectations of disruptive pricing.  The unsuspecting consumer buys thinking they have got the "Best Deal" whereas he/she is actually buying a lower specification product. This is prevalent across product categories from apparel to electronics. Be alert and buy only when you are satisfied about the product specifications & quality.
Also, be wary of glib sales promoters who would push products without sharing product details or store brands where they may get hefty commission.

It is recommended that consumers check on product selection guides and select the best product before buying during a "sale".

2)  Don't buy what you don't need now

Don't fill your cart with unwanted stuff just because you think it's a bargain price, don't get greedy - Buy only what you need now

Consumers get exited with the prospect of getting a good deal and end up buying products which may not be needed or suited to their requirements. Mostly such products end up not being used or the brand gets the blame for poor product performance. Little do the customer realise that in the anxiety to get the "Best Deal" they have chosen a "Raw Deal" for themselves.

Buy only what you need, best deal is in getting the best product and not in buying junk.

3) Don't get carried away by advertisements, check prices before you add to cart 

Don't add to cart just because it has been advertised as "Best Deal - Sale" - Compare the prices of similar products before sales period and during the sales period

Many a times the maximum retail prices (MRP) are inflated during sales period by launching new products with different product name / codes. Discount is then shown on this inflated MRP to make the gullible consumer think they are getting "Best Deal".

It is always advisable to check on prices of similar products before the sales period and buy only of there is a substantial price advantage.

4) Don't add to cart without thoroughly checking the product, insist on new packed product

Just because it's a "Best Deal - Sale" doesn't mean that you should be handed over a shop soiled or demo product. 

You may get a shop soiled item or demo product delivered to your home while buying during sales period. This may really spoil the charm of owning the product or wearing an apparel.

Check throughly and insist on a factory packed new product before adding to cart.

5) Check on the product replacement & return policy during sales period 

The retailer may refuse to entertain return or replacement of the product bought during "sale". It is better to check the product before taking delivery and understand the replacement policy for products bought during sale period.

It is advisable to buy only when the retailer / brand agrees on replacement or return of defective products even if they are bought during "Best Deal - Sale"

Always select
"Best Product" before the "Best Deal"