lovetoshopCA

They are like the Disney Mix Max. The one you hid has video capability. We got a Mix Max last year on sale for our son and a couple of girls we know. They can play an entire movie, but you usually need it on the little SD cards. They sell the movies on cards below them in the main aisle. There aren't a lot, but you can download them yourself as well. Our son just uses it as an MP3 player and we loaded some photos on it that can be gone through. It is nice.

I've seen them in toys, sporting goods & hardware near the kids bedding. So it is a bit of a pot shoot where you'll find them. They just look like a bunch of stuffed animals sitting on a shelf.

They don't normally, nor do books. They normally send them back to the manufacturer or distributor for a credit. However, when they miss them in the process, they are stuck with them and have to unload them. They are usually old titles that have been out of their inventory for awhile. They just did inventory at a lot, if not all, stores, so they probably found them in the process. That is why they put as is stickers on them. We didn't have so much luck. But, we did find some Very Hungry Caterpillar books for $1.16 today which made DS and a preschool teacher happy.

There is a "Store Manager" who is overall head of the store. The problem is that when you try to get to that person it is nearly impossible. They just don't want to let you do it. Over time, as the employees get to know me, I have found that I could ask and have them pointed out to me. I still don't know who it is at one of my main stores, though. But, honestly, I have not always gotten good results even by talking to the store manager when I do know who it is. I generally have had much better success by calling the 800 number. That generally gets their attention because it goes into their performance reports and can have a real impact on the manager himself. LODs are usually just hourly people who are put into a position of line management. They "say" they are managers and can really do things, but I haven't found it to be true. They report up to the store manager (there may or may not be someone over them) and the store manager reports to a district manager. I don't know how many layers they have. I just know that the best results come through a top down complaint so that it gets recorded.

Be very careful when you have her buy things for you. Don't allow them to see you give her the cash. I understand from employees I know that that is an instant firing offense. Wouldn't want her in trouble.

you might want to report that to the customer service email or phone number. or the store manager. that isn't right, and I doubt the company condones it.

The down side of that will be when you need them to mark something down for you that hasn't been scanned. While I understand the sentiment, you don't want to in your own backyard as it were. If it is a store you don't visit all the time, maybe, but you don't want them to hate you. It just won't be worth it long term. I have worked hard to cultivate relationships with the markdown teams at my regular stores. They like me and take care of me. I even bought them a round of Starbucks pastries during the toy markdown. They were taking their break down there and I knew I wanted a few things marked out of turn. They had been telling people they couldn't check their items because everyone and their brother was interrupting them and not letting them get their work done. But when they came back I was allowed to put my few items in their pathway so they would mark them for me. No problem. But they still kept turning others away.

No catalog here. Crossing my fingers I'll get one. Had to laugh at the commercial thing. I haven't seen commercials in so long that I have no clue. My very geeky DH built us a Tivo-like system that doesn't require any stupid subscription fees, and it skips all the commercials automatically and completely. Drives my mom crazy when she visits. She actually likes commercials, so she doesn't like it. But our kids were 4 & 5 before they ever even SAW a commercial on TV. They don't even understand the concept of live TV as we record everything they are allowed to watch. That said, I have to say that I find commercials and advertising in general to be so incredibly unrealistic. DHs pet peeve is the Bebe ads on the bus stops out here. They are so sleazy it is ridiculous. Anyway...enough of a rant...

They aren't "supposed" to be out on the sales floor unless a team member is working it and putting stuff on the shelves right then. However, many stores leave them sitting around all the time. Some stores it becomes a real problem. One of my stores used to have a "train" of them at the front end every morning. It was like an obstacle course. They also used to have their "team meetings at store opening time, and I would hear the constant complaining about it. They finally changed the policy, so they don't have a train anymore. But the carts often sit on the sales floor. I take advantage of this at holiday clearance time and stash stuff in the bottoms of them. I cover them with whatever the department stuff is. Then when I go in the next morning the stuff is usually still there.

that's right. I completely forgot about that. I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Seems like it was an online coupon last year, wasn't it?

Well that just stinks. Maybe you can get something from the Easter clearance. The best deals are always that period right after Christmas. This Spring stretch is always a bit light on deals. Then they start resetting for Summer and before you know it Fall and the deals pick up substantially.

It should, but you can never be certain. That would fall in line with the usual schedule. Since there isn't another big holiday to follow it probably will go the full run. Some stores seem to do it slightly earlier, but that is usually based on there being almost nothing left. I cannot recall for sure on the Easter stuff in the Dollar Spot. Seems like they usually go slightly before the holiday, but can't say for sure. It seems like last year I was hoping to get the Peter Rabbit books, but they didn't go till after Easter. Hope that helps.

Yes, they go with hardware & automotive.

Oh, they were marking those carpet squares some of you were discuss the other day to 50% today. It was the only thing I really noticed. Nothing for me today. One of those rare days where I walked out without a thing!

Those, if they do another markdown, ought to go down on Monday with electronics. However, last year they salvaged them at 50% at most stores. Some people, myself included, found one at 75%, but it was the exception.

Yes, we have had this argument back and forth several times. I think most of us agree that employees should be allowed to shop clearance as well. The gripe is in the blatant lying to the customer's face. I had a similar experience with an employee telling me something was salvaged that wasn't. It was in a go-backs cart that she was using to return items to the sales floor. She clearly wanted the item for herself, but because she lied to me I gave no ground and bought it. The reason they lie, I think, is because they know it is against the rules to shop on the clock. And, while they do deserve to shop, they knew the rules when they started the job. Oh, and most of the carts you are talking about are go-backs. The markdown team also does often tote around extra carts to put salvage items in. Those go to the back to be sold for salvage. The ones just sitting around are totally fair game and often contain some of the best bargains as they are often returns after a markdown.

Really?! Candy is pretty well outlawed in our schools. They only really allow it for Halloween and Christmas, and even then it is discouraged. If the whole class gets a treat for everyone getting a green on the behavior chart, they get a cookie at most. They don't allow chips, either except in single packs at lunch. And even those are discouraged. If a kid brings anything larger than a single pack it is taken away and returned home. No pizzas for birthdays or other parties. Too many fat kids.

Of course if you miss them, there's Easter clearance in just over 2 weeks.

they only get 10%.

Yeah, the ones I know tell me the same thing. It isn't allowed, but they do it anyway. On the other hand, they also run the risk of having another employee take it, or put it back on the sales floor! That has happened to one gal in particular a few times.

I'd definitely call. Describe them your best if you don't have their names.

It is rarely enforced, and some managers feel that they should get first shot at stuff. Myself, I would have done the same thing, and have. If it is someone I know who works there, and I know most of them at this point, I would expect them to tell me the truth that they wanted it. Then I would back off because I would rather stay on friendly terms with them. But if they bald-faced lied to me, forget it. That is pretty ridiculous. In fact, I'd have gotten her name and made the phone call to the 800 number. However, they often leave things in their carts that they may or may not want to buy when they go on break. I never have hesitated to take items I see sitting there when they are on break. If they REALLY wanted it, they could have (and I've seen them do it) bought it when they took their break. So, it could be they were just working on it and laid it down when it was break time. So, if it were me, I'd call on this one. But that's me.

champagne kone was clearanced in some stores

The ones on sale were silver/grey and blue like the photo. The red was not on sale, at least around here. The Kurv ones were champagne and spice (red) colors. Only those were marked down. Supershopper says the broom vac thing is clunky and heavy. I have to say that was my opinion as well. Not worth even the 75% off price. I put my Kurv away for when my current vac dies, which seems to happen every couple of years anyway. But I demoed one in a Walmart when they came out, and they have good suction.

It wasn't any of the licensed CW sets. Just the generic sets were on sale.