Guest bluesrule9 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I remember not all that long ago that a number of stores offered some type of incentive for being at the store early. Usually a bag with samples and coupons or a stuffed toy etc. I wonder why that stopped.....I haven't seen it for probably 3 years or so. Also wondering if it was just a local thing...has anyone else gotten these types of incentives over the last few years?
pottsie66 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I remember not all that long ago that a number of stores offered some type of incentive for being at the store early. Usually a bag with samples and coupons or a stuffed toy etc. I wonder why that stopped.....I haven't seen it for probably 3 years or so. Also wondering if it was just a local thing...has anyone else gotten these types of incentives over the last few years? I believe a few stores offered a few things last year, but IMHO they weren't worth racing out to those stores to stand in line. I stuck with the stores that offered the most bang for the buck!:)
gjedda03 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 ..Yeah i remember alot of stores doing this in the past...i think one year a store gave out a tin of cookies. But i havent really seen any stores do this in a few years....except JC Penney's with their snow globe. Wish they would start doing it again...made the day even more fun then it already is!
peachysquirt21 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I remember those years. Now it is just a few places that offer anything. I dont even bother with the ones that do cause there is nothing I want. I wish JC Penny's would stop with the dang snow globes & offer something else. Is getting old every year offering those.
RossMAN Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 They still do but it's pretty rare. Some offer donuts and coffee and others such as Sears offer a Free $10 GC to the first people in line.
jellybean051901 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 They should offer a substantial gift card to the first 20 or so people in lin. Something at least $50 would be nice. Add to the incentive to be out there for hours in the freezing cold. Although, last year I would have been happy with free hand warmers:cheesy:
peachysquirt21 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 They should offer a substantial gift card to the first 20 or so people in lin. Something at least $50 would be nice. Add to the incentive to be out there for hours in the freezing cold. Although, last year I would have been happy with free hand warmers:cheesy:Oooo a $50 gift card would be so tempted. However I dont know if I could be out in the cold that long.
rogue1230 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 It's not really an incentive, but last year the Walmart manager came out and gave us coofee/hot coco and donuts. He said hello to us ( like the 1st dozen in line) and really approached us all and told us he really appreciated us coming out and waiting to shop at his store. He promised to keep it organized and that he had spoken with the local law enforcement ( to prevent the stampedes) to make sure that those of us who had been freezing and waiting were treated fairly. it wasnt an incentive, but ya know, it hit a cord, and I am going back there this year, gift card or not, simply because he took the time.
mom395222 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 Well, one of the 1st BF's my sister and I went out on, we went to Ames (used to be Hills) and neither is around anymore, anyways, the 1st 100 people through the door that morning got a scratch off ticket...it was good for 10% all the way to 50% off your total.....there was only 1 50% off one per store, and my sister got it....I got a 20% off one...now that was NICE!
Illinoismom Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 One year at Shopko we got stockings with that when you pressed a button they played music, they were Santa, a snowman and a reindeer, I hang them next to my carasel every year
peachysquirt21 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 One year at Shopko we got stockings with that when you pressed a button they played music, they were Santa, a snowman and a reindeer, I hang them next to my carasel every yearI loved goin to Shopko every year for the free gift. :) I remember years ago it would be like this every BF people waiting in line for the store to open, get the free gift & move on to the next store to try & get what they was giving out free. LOL I use to do this alot.
krstee Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 Three years ago, before Kmart had been bought out by Sears, they had a similar gift card deal for the first 50 people in line. The amounts on the g/c were anywhere between $1 to $100. My sister and I went, and when we checked out, I joked to the others in line that "Yeah, I have the $100 g/c" - they all laughed, but when the cashier scanned it, I DID have it! No joke! I was more shocked than anyone else in line! Luckily, I was able to do some shopping later (after BF) with the rest on the card.
bayhaysay Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 The only stores around here that offer a free early bird gift are Sears ($10 GC) and JCPenny (snowglobe) and IMO neither of those are worth missing our on better deals at other stores.
druffing Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 Yes, I have to get those danged snowglobes every year as I am a Disney nut...and I hate having to go to JCP as there is not much I would need there at that time... Mostly I need electronics, toys, house things... druffing
sns128 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I'm pretty lucky in that I live in a really small town with an equally small JCPenney. I normally hit Wal-Mart then go over to JCPenney (they are right next to each other) and pick up the snowglobe, last year I ended up with five snowglobes, between me, DH, my niece, and my mom. I don't think the JCPenney here has ever run out of snowglobes, there just isn't enough people who go pick them up. You can go pretty much anytime that day and get one.
peachysquirt21 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 The only stores around here that offer a free early bird gift are Sears ($10 GC) and JCPenny (snowglobe) and IMO neither of those are worth missing our on better deals at other stores.I hear ya on that. BTW I soooooooo love your avatar. It's always a pleasure seeing your posts. teehee
cherry33778 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I remember one year Target gave away a Hot Wheels car and a scratch off for a chance to win a bigger prize, but of course this was a decade ago :)
ms_mckenna Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 Last year they had the sears 10 and then goodies did one too. Then later at JC Penny the snowglobe. I think we ended up doing all three last year. DD was soo worried she would not get a snowglobe and lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the huge pile of them.
Kay1996 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I used to be a mangager at Big Lots and we used to give away stuff on BF. Nothing good mind you but..... One year it was a stuffed Big Lots Guy and the next year was really cheap camera's. Let's put it this way, people left them in the carts cause they didn't want them. We also always had coffee and donuts for the customers.
copados1993 Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 My husband is in the military and if I remember corectly, at our PX they offer free gift cards for the first customers. This is the first year that I may go there.
hoopysgirl Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I go to Sears for their $10 gc - But, I live in a small town, we only have Shopko, Wal-Mart and a locally owned Sears, so only the first 25 people get the gcs. Our Shopko hasn't given away anything for a couple of years, I think the last I remember is the ornaments.
mum2luke Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 I remember those days as well. Target gave away samples in a really cute snowman bag for the first 100 customers and for the first 10 I think they got a gift card. I've gotten the Sears gift card a couple times. They let us stand inside. The thing that irked me though was Sears was letting people in before the acutal opening for those that didn't care about the gift card. So if you had a partner they went in got the good stuff and you still got to stand in line for the gc. Grrrr I do bf shopping on my own.
guadarrama Posted October 12, 2006 Posted October 12, 2006 "They should offer a substantial gift card to the first 20 or so people in lin. Something at least $50 would be nice. Add to the incentive to be out there for hours in the freezing cold.Although, last year I would have been happy with free hand warmers" I used to work for stein mart a couple of years ago and they gave out gc up to about $100 i think it was. couldn't get any cause i was employee. but might go if they do it again this year. They handed them out in envelopes, in each envelop was a gc or coupons.
Bestbuy7 Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 There is alot of stores that do this. Sears and Macys[or was it Kohls] did it last year.
bayhaysay Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 BTW I soooooooo love your avatar. It's always a pleasure seeing your posts. teeheeThanks, here's another post just for you.
MusicMama Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 One of the first years that our Target was open - and the year the "Pokemon Yellow" was released, they had a scratch-off. My daughter and my nephew both ended up with Pokemon back-packs. Wish they still did that - actually, really wish that stores appreciated you coming out and shopping there. But that attitude doesn't seem to exist anymore. Now it's more like "why are you bothering me, I'd rather stand at my register with nothing to do".
jennirv4967 Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Target was good on giving away things to the first people in. The year of the great Furby fiasco, MontgomeryWard gave away donuts and coffee...which was great.
sigrist_2000 Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Meijer used to give out grab bags...just odds and ends..but some stuff was pretty good gift giving...we used to keep going around the corner and kept getting them...lol... I remember the Hotwheel thing at Target....my thats been long ago..i wonder if i still have that car....or maybe i didnt go there at that time...that was in columbus we didnt shop much there then...now i shop almost everyday everywhere. I hope stores bring this back...i know its a money issue..but just think of the odds and ends they can give out just to clear room for new stuff so they can make profit off it to cover the costs...makes sense...lol
peachysquirt21 Posted October 13, 2006 Posted October 13, 2006 Thanks, here's another post just for you. Thanks
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