Normally, a store closing sale brings fabulous deals. Smaller businesses need to unload inventory and buyers are eager to pick up good merchandise at great prices. It’s a win-win.
I want to warn you about an “anti-deal.” It’s the closing sales (going out of business) that Linens -n- Things (LNT) is having. I’ve noticed that larger companies, like Sharper Image or CompUSA, host these incredibly long, drawn-out “going out of business” sales wherein the “deals” aren’t really great, but buyers think they’re getting good discounts on things they don’t even want because of the huge signage and advertising.
Believe me, if the company wanted to unload their stuff fast, they’d slash their prices and have the stores emptied and closed within weeks, not months. When it comes to the bitter end for these leviathans, they’ll ship everything to a common location and have a massive lot auction. Meanwhile, think about the operational costs they’re paying to keep the stores open in order to host these “sales.” Clearly the business is making a strong profit on the sale and, ultimately, the people who lose out are those who are buying something not that well discounted that they can’t return later if it breaks. Sounds like a no-bueno deal to me.
So, for the moment, I’d warn you against heading to a LNT store or even their website in search of a deal. As theirs signs presently state, their stores are offering discounts “up to” 30% off. That’s nothing.
