A WOLF IN SHEEPS CLOTHING? (Boots Stores)

Member Name: moonbailey

Product:	Boots Stores
Date:	30/10/01 (123 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: lots of lovely products, points back when we shop, plenty of offers

Disadvantages: higher than average prices on everything!

We love boots don't we? So many big name brands all under one shiny roof.

Lots and lots of two for one and three for two offers and more make-up than you can shake a stick at.

But, how many of you have stopped to do the maths?

Three for two - fab. That's three deoderants that retail separately for £3.00 each - for just £6.00! But, hang on a minute, £3.00 is a bit steep isn't it? Didn't you just see the same deoderant in Tesco for £1.98?

Yes, you did.

Quite often it is cheaper to buy these things not on offer elsewhere than 'on offer' in Boots!

In that case, why do we still shop there?

Well, I've been thinking about that and I suppose it's because we just love to get something for 'free'. We'd rather pay a bit more to get something else as a gift than save a few pence and buy what we need without the 'gift'.

For Boots, the advantage card has been their saving grace too. Just as some of their customers were cottoning on to the fact that they could buy the goods cheaper elsewhere, Boots play their 'trump' card.

Four points back for every pound and sometimes a whopping ten points per pound. So, not only do we get goods for 'free' but we can save up for bonus gifts to ourselves.

Actually we're not saving much at all but when it comes down to it - we just love the gimmick!

Besides this, our inner-snobiness prefers to have shiny bright surroundings dedicated to our needs than throw a few extra things into the basket in with the weekly shop. (Where's the fun in that?!) If we are buying beauty products or luxury bath goods, we'd rather go on a special mission.

So, for the time being at least, Boots wins. Keep up the colourful, well stocked shelves, the inviting offers and the weekend 10 points per pound frenzy and we'll pretend we don't know your game - because deep down we like
it that way!

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