What is your Ann Taylor buying philosophy?

[v]

There are three dresses I want to buy for spring.  They're probably an average of $125 each at full-price, but I know that Ann Taylor has sales every three days.  

Their current promotion is 30% off (and applies to these dresses).  Should I hold off for a better sale?  I don't want to buy at 30% off and then kick myself because they're 50% off the next day -- but I don't want to wait too long and have them sell out on me.

Thanks!

[dottyblue]

Ditto the pp. Never buy full price, and 30% off is a good deal. Hang on to your receipt because they will definitely do a price adjustment for you if a better sale happens (I think within 30 days).

[mbcdefg]

Do they even do 50% off sales? I thought 40% is the highest they go, unless it's clearance.

I'd pull the trigger now before they run out of your desired size/color.

[moolarkey]

Can you order online and go through ebates? Is Ann Taylor an ebates store? I think it is. That would save you at least a little bit more. And do you get free shipping, otherwise that negates any ebates savings.

[v]

Mar 5, 2015 10:31:01 GMT -5 moolarkey said:

Can you order online and go through ebates? Is Ann Taylor an ebates store? I think it is. That would save you at least a little bit more. And do you get free shipping, otherwise that negates any ebates savings.

I will get 10% back from UPromise (much more generous than Ebates).  But I'll still be pissed if I buy and then they're on sale for 50% off next week  (Particularly because I'd get 10% back then too).

I don't know why I have it in my head that Ann Taylor sometimes has 50% off of everything sales.  Is that just Loft?

Will they actually do a price adjustment if I better sale happens?  Isn't that usually for permanent reductions only?  The Ts&Cs of the 30% off code say "No adjustments to prior purchases."  I have to imagine better codes have that same limitation?

Looks like it may have to wait anyway, because the AT website doesn't do anything when I click "purchase."

[ddi741]

I have learned that if I find something I like, regardless of the store, buy it. Because inevitably, I could go back the next day and it will be gone.

I actually had a dress in my car on Anntaylor.com. I hesitated a few minutes and in that brief time, it sold. It was a clearance item and they only had one in my size.

[h]

My general rule is that if there is something I want from a chain like that that has frequent sales, I buy it if I can get 30% off or better. I don't worry about the difference between 30% and 50% because I figure at some point my size could sell out or whatever. So I would buy it.

[Deleted]

I haven't had much luck there in the past few years, so my philosophy would be pay as little as possible. They used to run 40% or 50% off sales all the time, so if you aren't in a time crunch I'd wait for one of those.

[ESF]

I have this down to a science.

1. Flash sales seem to happen on Thursday and Sunday afternoon/evenings, and new long term promos seem to be announced on Mondays. That factors into my decision making about when to buy. In your case, I'd definitely wait until at least tonight.

2. For a unique items, 30% off full price is the highest price I will pay. I tend to only do that for something I really need and don't want to chance. I need a suit or dress for an event, then yes. Routine wardrobe building does not fall under that category. So if it's just something I want to wear to dinner or a blouse that will look nice under a suit, then I'm OK taking the chance that it won't be there when it is cheaper.

3. If it's something in which there are lots of colors/patterns, 40% off full price is the most I'll pay, and even then I'm probably on the fence if it's just a routine wardrobe piece.

Otherwise, I typically only buy from the sale section during a 30%+ or more promo, or 50% off full price.

[cilantro]

40%. They always hit 40% within a week or two.

I will just add that caveat that it's been over 6 months since I placed an order cause I'm a planet.

[rikki]

My Ann Taylor buying philosophy is that I have actually never purchased a single item from there in my life. Now that I think about it, I guess that is kind of weird.

[formerlyak]

I buy a lot from Ann Taylor because I am lazy about shopping and can walk in there and say something like, "I am looking for a dress that hides the rest of my baby belly fat I haven't lost yet and is appropriate for this certain occasion." I have asked your exact same question to the lady I always work with in my local store and she said to buy when my size is there and save my receipt because I can get a price adjustment up to 30 days from purchase. If it's 30% off now and they have your size, I'd buy.

[Deleted]

I would likely buy now because if I really loved them I would want to risk them selling out. 30% is a good deal and I don't generally shop at Ann Taylor but I haven't seen many places go 50% with sales so it seems uunlikely to happen to me.

[Deleted]

The last 50% off sale they did was in November. They do not do them that frequently. I'd go with the 30% off.

[v]

Mar 29, 2015 7:51:56 GMT -5 @songforyou said:

Okay, I thought of this thread because I looked at Ann Taylor (for the first time in long time) via an email this morning and there are like 6 things I want. Most are full priced, but some are dresses with $50 off. 40% would be a slightly better deal. So, most of these things will be 40% off in a couple weeks, is that true? I like enough things that I wouldn't fall apart if I couldn't get a couple of them, but I also don't want to wait forever, either.

Well, here's an update on those dresses...

I bought them on the advice of this thread at 30% off.  Dress number 1 was $139 full price, $97.30 at 30% off; dress number 2 was $129 at full price, $90.30 at 30% off.  (The third turned out to be a disaster on me, so let's keep it out of the equation for simplicity's sake).

ONE DAY LATER, I get an email announcing 40% off.  So I reorder them.  Dress 1 was now $83.40; Dress 2 was $77.40.  So worth it to save about $30, right?

Well, a week later, dress 2 goes on a 60% off flash sale for $48.  So I rebuy again.  Worth it to save another $30, right?

The lesson learned?  Wait for at least 40% off, but even that may be way too high.

Also, Ann Taylor has become my home away from home with all these returns.

[AAM2012]

Lets see some pics/links of these dresses....I'm in need of some retail therapy!

[v]

Mar 29, 2015 10:14:06 GMT -5 AAM2012 said:

Lets see some pics/links of these dresses....I'm in need of some retail therapy!

Dress 1:



Dress 2: 



The one that got away:



It was *fantastic* on -- from the front.  In the back it bunched weirdly.  I tried 4 different sizes but no dice.

[lime]

Mar 29, 2015 9:09:05 GMT -5 v said:

Mar 29, 2015 7:51:56 GMT -5 @songforyou said:

Okay, I thought of this thread because I looked at Ann Taylor (for the first time in long time) via an email this morning and there are like 6 things I want. Most are full priced, but some are dresses with $50 off. 40% would be a slightly better deal. So, most of these things will be 40% off in a couple weeks, is that true? I like enough things that I wouldn't fall apart if I couldn't get a couple of them, but I also don't want to wait forever, either.

Well, here's an update on those dresses...

I bought them on the advice of this thread at 30% off.  Dress number 1 was $139 full price, $97.30 at 30% off; dress number 2 was $129 at full price, $90.30 at 30% off.  (The third turned out to be a disaster on me, so let's keep it out of the equation for simplicity's sake).

ONE DAY LATER, I get an email announcing 40% off.  So I reorder them.  Dress 1 was now $83.40; Dress 2 was $77.40.  So worth it to save about $30, right?

Well, a week later, dress 2 goes on a 60% off flash sale for $48.  So I rebuy again.  Worth it to save another $30, right?

The lesson learned?  Wait for at least 40% off, but even that may be way too high.

Also, Ann Taylor has become my home away from home with all these returns.

I do this with J Crew. 

Of course, you can't actually wear anything you buy. 

[v]

Mar 29, 2015 12:29:07 GMT -5 lime said:

Mar 29, 2015 9:09:05 GMT -5 v said:

Well, here's an update on those dresses...

I bought them on the advice of this thread at 30% off.  Dress number 1 was $139 full price, $97.30 at 30% off; dress number 2 was $129 at full price, $90.30 at 30% off.  (The third turned out to be a disaster on me, so let's keep it out of the equation for simplicity's sake).

ONE DAY LATER, I get an email announcing 40% off.  So I reorder them.  Dress 1 was now $83.40; Dress 2 was $77.40.  So worth it to save about $30, right?

Well, a week later, dress 2 goes on a 60% off flash sale for $48.  So I rebuy again.  Worth it to save another $30, right?

The lesson learned?  Wait for at least 40% off, but even that may be way too high.

Also, Ann Taylor has become my home away from home with all these returns.

I do this with J Crew. 

Of course, you can't actually wear anything you buy. 

You can!

I just reorder and return newest version with tags still on on older receipt.  They don't know which of two identical dresses was ordered on Tuesday and which was ordered on Wednesday.

carrotsmakemefat -- here's dress 1: www.anntaylor.com/mini-daisy-flare-dress/353799?colorExplode=false&skuId=18204056&catid=cata000012&productPageType=search&defaultColor=6600

[kadams767]

I would wait for at least 40%. I think Loft is generally the same as far as promos go, and two weeks ago, I ended up order a few dresses from there with a 40% off promotion PLUS I was able to stack a 25% off promo that popped up for me when I went to the website (I think it comes on Ann Taylor too, if you aren't on the email list already, it says something like "Sign up for 25% off your order..." and one of the options is "no thanks, I like paying full price."). They will email you the code and it works on top of other promos.

[v]

Mar 29, 2015 13:06:06 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I would wait for at least 40%. I think Loft is generally the same as far as promos go, and two weeks ago, I ended up order a few dresses from there with a 40% off promotion PLUS I was able to stack a 25% off promo that popped up for me when I went to the website (I think it comes on Ann Taylor too, if you aren't on the email list already, it says something like "Sign up for 25% off your order..." and one of the options is "no thanks, I like paying full price."). They will email you the code and it works on top of other promos.

Well, THAT's good to know.  Definitely trying that next time!

[kadams767]

Mar 29, 2015 13:24:21 GMT -5 v said:

Mar 29, 2015 13:06:06 GMT -5 kadams767 said:

I would wait for at least 40%. I think Loft is generally the same as far as promos go, and two weeks ago, I ended up order a few dresses from there with a 40% off promotion PLUS I was able to stack a 25% off promo that popped up for me when I went to the website (I think it comes on Ann Taylor too, if you aren't on the email list already, it says something like "Sign up for 25% off your order..." and one of the options is "no thanks, I like paying full price."). They will email you the code and it works on top of other promos.

Well, THAT's good to know.  Definitely trying that next time!

Not sure if it will only work on top of their automatic promos (like the ones that take 40% off automatically), because I just tried it and it will only let you enter one promo code.  But it definitely worked on the last "40% off all dresses" promo.