In the past we’ve reported on Target’s fuzzy math, retailers failing to understand what “clearance” means, and department stores being sued for allegedly inflating the original price of items in order make discounts look more attractive. These issues appear to have combined at Walmart, where one shopper says the company is running a “clearance conspiracy”: slapping clearance tags with much higher prices on formerly less expensive items. [More]
clearance
Target Still Not Clear On How Clearance Works
By 11.16.15
What does “clearance” mean? Usually, it means that a retailer needs to get items off the shelves, and they’ve lowered the price by a little bit or by a lot. Usually, though, the plan is to lower the price so people are more likely to walk out of the store with that item. Unless you’re at Target, apparently. [More]
Toilet Paper Clearance At Target Means You Pay 86¢ More
By 8.14.15
Justin was shopping at his local Target store when he spotted a big pack of toilet paper marked “Clearance.” Hey, great! It’s always really useful when you can find a markdown, even one of 15% like an initial Target clearance markdown, on an important household staple. Then he looked closer. [More]
Grocery Store Marks Up Chicken, Not Sure How ‘Clearance’ Works
By 5.8.15
Here is how it works when something has been on the shelf for a while and you want to get rid of it. You lower the price slightly to entice someone to buy it, and…um, that should be about it. Unless you are grocer Ingles. Then putting something on clearance means raising the price per pound but decreasing the weight, decreasing the price slightly but not making anyone want to buy the chicken. [More]
Walmart Doesn’t Advertise Their Roll-Forward Pricing
By 8.25.14
Walmart is famous for lowering prices and calling them “rollbacks,” but sometimes the opposite happens, too. Reader Ben spotted this example of roll-forward pricing at his local Walmart on a clearance sign. [More]
This Flood Sensor Will Fly Off The Shelf Now That It’s Marked Down 3¢
By 1.15.14
Jon snapped this photo of what he called an “amazing Lowe’s sale” and sent it along. Indeed, it’s pretty amazing, if by “amazing” he actually meant “pointless” and “stupid.” [More]
At OfficeMax, “Clearance” Means “Mark It Up By A Penny”
By 10.28.13
Maybe OfficeMax is so preoccupied with its planned wedding to Office Depot that it isn’t paying attention to its clearance pricing schemes anymore. That’s the only way we can explain these “clearance” rices that consist of marking items up by a penny. [More]
Walmart Marks Ancient MP3 Player Down To Slightly Less Hilarious Price
By 5.28.13 — Updated: 8.15.13
We have great news for fans of obsolete technology! If you’ve been waiting to get hold of an MP3 player that’s old enough to receive its First Communion, you don’t have to pay Walmart’s high price of $109.72 for one. No, the glorious MobiBlu is now on clearance for only $60. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Find MP3 Player From 2005 Marked Down To Only $100
By 5.15.13 — Updated: 8.15.13
Exploring the clearance section of his local Walmart, Eric made a rare and fascinating discovery. Well, as we’ve learned on this site, not all that rare, but it is pretty fascinating to see an electronic gadget that’s around eight years old sitting on the shelf, marked down on “clearance” to a comically high price. [More]
At Kohl’s, 60% Off Then 25% Off Means 85% Off
By 2.4.13 — Updated: 2.11.13
Garrett understands math. And he knows that 60% off, then 25% off does not equal 85% off. That’s what the signs at Kohl’s said, and he assumed that was the discount he would get. No, the items he bought rang up at the lower price. He wrote to Kohl’s, thinking maybe that they would say, “Oh, yes, customer, you’re right; we just had the wrong signs up.” Not so fast! They insisted that the wrong math was really right. [More]
Michaels Employee Clarifies Confusing Clearance Sign
By 2.1.13
Earlier this week, we showed you a picture of a clearance sign from a Michaels store that didn’t make a whole lot of sense. The yellow and black sign happily declared “CLEARANCE, 70% off,” but the fine print clarified that the clearance didn’t apply to clearance items. We get it if a “70% lowest ticketed price” clearance doesn’t apply to items on sale, but not to items that are on clearance in the first place. As it turns out, this sign seemed wacky because it is.
Tipster N. is a Michaels employee who stepped forward to defend truth, logic, and the craft mega-chain’s pricing policies. It turns out that reader Kim probably should have received 70% off the item, just because that’s how Michaels rolls.
Michaels Clearance Price Doesn’t Apply To Clearance Items…Wait, What?
By 1.30.13
What happens when you divide by zero on a cash register? You can’t. Kim found something about as confusing while shopping at Michaels recently: a clearance sale that doesn’t apply to clearance items, including the item that she wanted to buy. [More]
Raiders Of The Lost Walmart Will Take 10 Minutes To Download This Post Over A 56K Modem
By 1.25.13 — Updated: 8.15.13
Among the readers and tipsters of Consumerist are a brave band of explorers on a sacred mission to advance human knowledge. Their quest: to find really, really old crap sitting on the clearance rack at Walmart, and take photos so we can laugh at it. They are the Raiders of the Lost Walmart. Here are their latest finds from the field. [More]
All Of The Summer Items At CVS That Are 50% Off Are 50% Off
By 9.5.12
Len noticed this sign at CVS. It seems pretty straightforward: the summer clearance items are all 50% off. Except for the fans. And the items that don’t scan at 50% off. The more you think about this sign, the more confusing it gets, because it means walking up to the counter or using a self-scan machine to determine whether items are on clearance sale. Why do you need a sign telling you to do that? [More]
Christmas Clearance Creep At Big Lots
By 9.10.09
Not only has Christmas already arrived at the Peoria, Ill. Big Lots, it’s already on clearance. True, Big Lots is a closeout retailer, but it’s still strange to see the kind of Christmas discounts usually reserved for December 27th in early September.
Save Over $0 At Toys R Us
By 1.13.09
This sign is accurate. You do save more than nothing at all if you buy this reduced-price Batmobile.
You Must Hurry, These TV Stands Will Go Fast
By 7.30.08
Walmart.com doesn’t just sell phantom coolers. They also have awesome deals like this priced-to-move TV stand. We guess when you already have low low prices, there’s not much room for extra discounts. (Thanks to Adam!)
Sears Confiscates Your Coat For Attempting To Return It And Buy It Back For Less
By 4.21.08
Reader Nick’s mother bought a coat that was on clearance at Sears. A week later she saw that the coat had been marked down even further, so she brought it back and asked if she could return it and then buy it again for the cheaper price.
