Retailers look to wean customers off discounts and sales

Indeed, such promotions have become a mainstay at major e-commerce sites and brick-and-mortar stores since the economic downturn, when deep discounts seemed to be the only way to get anxious consumers to make a purchase. For years after the recession ended, the promotions bonanza didn’t slow down as retailers realized that shoppers had become hooked on deals and weren’t ready to give them up.

 

“It’s become such a normal and pervasive thing for certain retailers to be on sale every day of the week,” said Liz Dunn, chief executive of retail consultancy Talmage Advisors.

 

But now, as the economic recovery strengthens, some retailers are trying to put the brakes on their years-long promotional ride in hope that they can retrain shoppers to buy things at full price. Retailers from Neiman Marcus to Vera Bradley have said they will be offering fewer promotions this year so as to improve their profit margins and inject more exclusivity to their brands, a move that will require some deft maneuvering in an era when these discounts have become routine.

 

Read the full article on The Washington Post.