30% off in-store only at Payless Shoes this weekend, and why that's better than BOGOHO: a little Shopper's Math review

Save 30% off your entire purchase at Payless Shoes, in-store only, when you print and present this coupon.  Good this weekend only, through 6/3/12.

But wait! I hear you saying.  Isn't it better to wait for one of Payless's cyclical buy-one-get-one-half-off (BOGOHO) sales?

Actually, no, it's not.  A BOGOHO sale may sound better, but:

1. the most you can save on a BOGOHO sale is 25%, and that's only if the two pairs of shoes that you're buying cost the same.  If there is a price difference between the two pairs, that percentage drops.  Do the math with two $100 pairs of shoes, an easy, round number to deal with. Normally they would cost you $200 total. If you buy two $100 pairs in a BOGO sale, you'll pay $150 or save $50, which is 25% of $200.  If you buy one pair at $100 and one pair at $80, you would normally pay $180, but with BOGOHO you'll pay $140, or save $40, which is only a 22% savings.  In both scenarios, you'll do better with a 30% off coupon.
2. BOGOHO forces you to buy two pairs of shoes.  With the 30% coupon, you can save on even one pair.
3. BOGOHO forces you to buy items in even increments. So if you buy three pairs of shoes, you'll only save on the first two pairs.  If you buy five pairs of shoes, you'll only save on the first four pairs.  A 30% off coupon allows you to save on everything.

So, while a BOGOHO sale may sound better (ah, marketing), a 30% coupon is a whole lot kinder to your wallet.  Now, if Payless were holding a BOGOHO sale and you could stack this 30% coupon (yes, Payless allows you to stack discounts with their sales!), you'd make out like a robber baron, but unfortunately, there's no BOGOHO sale scheduled for this weekend.  But 30% off is still awesome.

Remember, even if you hate the quality of Payless shoes, they do have great accessories (I love getting my tights and pantihose there), so print the coupon and shop away.

Pin It