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CNN Live At Daybreak
Look at Big Sale Signs
Aired January 15, 2003 - 05:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you've been to a store or shopping mall lately, you've probably been in for the sales, or at least you've seen the big sale signs, you know, 25, 50, even 75 percent off.
Well, our Jeanne Moos noticed. Believe me, she noticed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ad may say "winter sale warning in effect" but these days it's clear sailing for shoppers practically year round. Sales seem to be escalating, from the big sale to the giant sample sale to the super sale, the final blowout sale, the most important sale of the year and even the we hate sales sale at the trendy Diesel store.
(on camera): It's sort of an anti-sale sale?
MAURIZIO MARCHIORI, DIESEL USA: Exactly.
MOOS: But as a retailer, you do hate sales, right?
MARCHIORI: Yes.
MOOS (voice-over): But consumers don't hate them.
(on camera): Do you buy much of anything full price?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never ever, ever, ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never. I think that's an insult to buy full price.
MOOS (voice-over): Even Broadway shows have graduated to having sales. Hotel rooms are 40 percent off. Pianos aren't just on sale, there's a piano emergency. The same goes for his jewelry store. But when we asked a clerk what emergency, he said the boss had him put up the sign to attract shoppers.
The author of "Why We Buy" sums it up ever so eloquently.
PACO UNDERHILL, AUTHOR, "WHY WE BUY": American retail is in deep doo-doo.
MOOS: Macy's bombards its customers with sale mail. And if that's not enough, lets you choose the sale day.
JACK MARUT, APPAREL WHOLESALER: It's the Frankenstein that the retailer has created that he doesn't know how to get out of.
PIERRE REYNOLDS: Don't buy anything, it's going to get cheaper.
MOOS: Pierre Reynolds should know. With prices slashed 20, 50, 70, 75 percent, he's hawking the deepest cut of all.
REYNOLDS: Everything's on sale up to 90 percent off. Just walk through those doors.
MOOS: The doors of a church, holy innocence. At this sample sale even Expensive pants aren't expensive. That's just a brand name. The man running the sample sale calls it guerrilla retail.
NICK KAPLAN, BRAND NAME BLOW-OUT: In the '80s it was very trendy to buy a $2,000 Armani suit and let everyone know you paid $2,000. Today, it's very trendy to buy a $2,000 Armani suit for $200 and let everyone know. That's a badge of honor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm buying them. They're $25 and they're so awesome.
MOOS: Some European countries, for instance France, only allow sales twice a year. Imagine regulating when stores can have sales. That's un-American. Here...
REYNOLDS: Everything's always on sale.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sleepy's one day mattress sale is today only.
MOOS: Today only, but they run that ad day after day. And look who's bargain hunting.
(on camera): Wait a minute, they're in this limo and they're at the 90 percent off sale?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am.
REYNOLDS: That's why the rich have money, they don't spend it. Money is just like toilet paper, it's not a problem unless you run out.
MOOS: And even when you do run out, you can always find some on sale.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired January 15, 2003 - 05:50 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: If you've been to a store or shopping mall lately, you've probably been in for the sales, or at least you've seen the big sale signs, you know, 25, 50, even 75 percent off.
Well, our Jeanne Moos noticed. Believe me, she noticed.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): The ad may say "winter sale warning in effect" but these days it's clear sailing for shoppers practically year round. Sales seem to be escalating, from the big sale to the giant sample sale to the super sale, the final blowout sale, the most important sale of the year and even the we hate sales sale at the trendy Diesel store.
(on camera): It's sort of an anti-sale sale?
MAURIZIO MARCHIORI, DIESEL USA: Exactly.
MOOS: But as a retailer, you do hate sales, right?
MARCHIORI: Yes.
MOOS (voice-over): But consumers don't hate them.
(on camera): Do you buy much of anything full price?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never ever, ever, ever.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Never. I think that's an insult to buy full price.
MOOS (voice-over): Even Broadway shows have graduated to having sales. Hotel rooms are 40 percent off. Pianos aren't just on sale, there's a piano emergency. The same goes for his jewelry store. But when we asked a clerk what emergency, he said the boss had him put up the sign to attract shoppers.
The author of "Why We Buy" sums it up ever so eloquently.
PACO UNDERHILL, AUTHOR, "WHY WE BUY": American retail is in deep doo-doo.
MOOS: Macy's bombards its customers with sale mail. And if that's not enough, lets you choose the sale day.
JACK MARUT, APPAREL WHOLESALER: It's the Frankenstein that the retailer has created that he doesn't know how to get out of.
PIERRE REYNOLDS: Don't buy anything, it's going to get cheaper.
MOOS: Pierre Reynolds should know. With prices slashed 20, 50, 70, 75 percent, he's hawking the deepest cut of all.
REYNOLDS: Everything's on sale up to 90 percent off. Just walk through those doors.
MOOS: The doors of a church, holy innocence. At this sample sale even Expensive pants aren't expensive. That's just a brand name. The man running the sample sale calls it guerrilla retail.
NICK KAPLAN, BRAND NAME BLOW-OUT: In the '80s it was very trendy to buy a $2,000 Armani suit and let everyone know you paid $2,000. Today, it's very trendy to buy a $2,000 Armani suit for $200 and let everyone know. That's a badge of honor.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I'm buying them. They're $25 and they're so awesome.
MOOS: Some European countries, for instance France, only allow sales twice a year. Imagine regulating when stores can have sales. That's un-American. Here...
REYNOLDS: Everything's always on sale.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Sleepy's one day mattress sale is today only.
MOOS: Today only, but they run that ad day after day. And look who's bargain hunting.
(on camera): Wait a minute, they're in this limo and they're at the 90 percent off sale?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, ma'am.
REYNOLDS: That's why the rich have money, they don't spend it. Money is just like toilet paper, it's not a problem unless you run out.
MOOS: And even when you do run out, you can always find some on sale.
Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
