Does anyone else's counter do this?

[GalleyGirl]

My counter sells out of stuff like lightning. However, they still keep their LE collections displays up, but just replace the sold out products with products from their permanent collection. For example, I walked into my Nordstrom's the other day, was excited when I saw they still had beauty burst in their display holder, only to pick it up and find out it was antiqued. Arrggghhh, I hate when they do this! What if I was a huge MAC newbie and didn't know any better and assumed I had gotten the L/E shade! (not that it had the barbie silouhette lasered into it, but you know what I mean).

 

[Holly]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GalleyGirl My counter sells out of stuff like lightning. However, they still keep their LE collections displays up, but just replace the sold out products with products from their permanent collection. For example, I walked into my Nordstrom's the other day, was excited when I saw they still had beauty burst in their display holder, only to pick it up and find out it was antiqued. Arrggghhh, I hate when they do this! What if I was a huge MAC newbie and didn't know any better and assumed I had gotten the L/E shade! (not that it had the barbie silouhette lasered into it, but you know what I mean).

I think they do that to make the display seem "full", all the counters and freestand stores I've been to do this.

 

[amoona]

They all do that, they replace the sold out limited edition products with close matches from the perm. line. I don't think its a bad thing, actually I like it. There's two reasons why I like it, one if I ever run out of the l/e product I know what I can use as a close match. The other reason is because I know a lot of people want that l/e color but they can't afford it at the time and they do sell out quick. So if you can't afford it now, then later on you can purchase this as a close match.

I don't know if other locations replace the sold out items with just random products but all the ones I've seen replace the sold out items with close dupes.

 

[Shimmer]

^^^^What Amoona said.

I think it was mentioned in one of the Barbie threads that they're required to do that or something...

 

[MAC_Whore]

Each counter gets a marketing plan. It tells them what has to be on the counter and at what times. No exceptions. They are pretty big on the uniformity / aesthetics thing. The rule is to replace the sold out LE with a dupe on the displayer.

I know it is a bit of a let down when you go to buy something and see that is actally the dupe, but the empty holes on the displayer look pretty ugly.

 

[liv]

Yep, my counter had Pink Swoon in the slot for Don't Be Shy, I was a little upset because I saw the full display and thought it was still there, but to be honest, I think it is a pretty close dupe, and empty displays are sad-looking. lol

 

[Chic 2k6]

lol it does look odd not to see anything in the slots

my counter still has alot of barbie stuff available apart from the hot pink l/g

 

[GalleyGirl]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MAC_Whore I know it is a bit of a let down when you go to buy something and see that is actally the dupe, but the empty holes on the displayer look pretty ugly.

True that, and people would probably not even stop at the counter if they saw half empty displays.

 

[ledonatella]

My company does the same thing and we are an Lauder brand too. Once we sell out of somehting we are required to put a replacement in to show what else you can use to achieve the look. It's really about the whole look not neccessarily the exact LE product, from an artist's perspective.

 

[giz2000]

They are required to do that...it's frustrating for the MAs too...I make sure that we have a color in stock before I show it to a customer and they fall in love with it...

 

[lah_knee]

as someone else pointed out we are REQUIRED to keep those units out for a certain period of time... we dont do it to irk you. and we are required to put out things that look similar or if theres nothing similar we have to put 'sold out' stickers on the items.

 

[shabdebaz]

This is only recently that we began receiving little black "sold out" stickers to put over the hole that the LE item was sitting in. Sometimes we use them, sometimes we don't. There isn't really any consistency yet. I don't know if MAC wants to phase out replacing the item with something similar or what.

 

[contrabassoon]

Yes, counters AND stores do it.

 

[Neodymium]

At my local MAC counter (in Melbourne, Australia) they leave the tester of the sold out item in the display, and put the little black sold out stick on the lid (if its an eyeshadow or blush) or on top of the name of the product (if its a lipglass, etc).

 

[booters78]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neodymium At my local MAC counter (in Melbourne, Australia) they leave the tester of the sold out item in the display, and put the little black sold out stick on the lid (if its an eyeshadow or blush) or on top of the name of the product (if its a lipglass, etc).

My Local MAC counter does the same thing. i like this better because then i do not have to ask if they have the item in stock.

 

[spectrolite]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Neodymium At my local MAC counter (in Melbourne, Australia) they leave the tester of the sold out item in the display, and put the little black sold out stick on the lid (if its an eyeshadow or blush) or on top of the name of the product (if its a lipglass, etc).

Yes normally this is true! But once, last year when Jewelescent was released I went into David Jones on Bourke street and was super excited to see the glitter eye liners still available on the counter. This was only a few days after the release. There were no sold out stickers on them and one of the girls was showing me the different colours. I was like "Great I'll take that and that and that" and she says "Oh sorry they are all sold out." I said "But, but there are no sold out stickers on them!" and she said "Sorry we must have forgot to put them on".

I was soooooo dissapointed

It still brings a tear to my eye thinking about it.... Okay thats exaggerating a lil bit hehe.

 

[redhead2000]

I have two counters I frequent and they don't do that. They either have empty holes where the products have sold out or the place "sold out" stickers on the testers.

 

[liquidsirenhoney]

i find that they put a sold out sticker and then replace it with existing products...especially with the Barbie stuff, they have all different l/g and lip sticks in the spot of the LE product.