Not-So-Friendly Gap Friends and Family 30% Off Scheme

by Darwin on April 7, 2011

A few weeks ago, my wife got her hands on a coveted “Friends and Family” discount flier at Gap, Banana Republic and Old Navy.  This magic ticket entitled us to a weekend of 30% off at any of these stores.  I joked with her that within weeks they’d be clearing out their inventory for the same price.  But it didn’t matter, a sale is too good to pass up for the wife.  So, we made our trip to the mall and dinner, ironically, probably ended up paying a babysitter about what we “saved” in clothes during our trip.

30% Off Was a Total Sucker’s Scheme!

Like clockwork, this week, I got a mailer for Gap, etc. that there’s a 35% off sale.  35% !!! What a joke!  After enticing lemmings like us to scurry over to the Gap in hurried fashion to partake in the great deal, they just offer a better deal later to the general public. OK, so the 35% off requires that you use a Gap card, which many people have, or would get in order to take advantage of this next “deal” anyway.

I can’t necessarily fault Gap.  It’s savvy marketing.  It’s inventory management.  It’s preying on human psychology.  All companies do it in their own way.  And we fell for it again.  Hopefully you won’t after reading this.  Just wait for the clearance pricing.  They need to clear out their inventory anyway and the margins on this stuff is unbelievable so you can get even steeper discounts at the end of the season if you don’t have to have the latest clothes at the start of each season.

So, while I’m flattered that the Gap considers us a friend, I’m not sure I feel very special.

With Friends Like That, Who Needs Enemies?

{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }

JT McGee April 7, 2011 at 12:34 pm

Gap actually missed numbers this quarter: http://www.marketwatch.com/story/retail-sales-defy-conventional-wisdom-2011-04-07

I guess the coupons get better when the 10Ks look bad 😉

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krantcents April 7, 2011 at 3:48 pm

It is just plain marketing! What I don’t understand is if they are trying to make this group feel special, it is not working! Although I am a GAP shopper, I usually wait for sales vs. these marketing gimmicks.

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