Initially Karen and I were planning to play some tennis on this gorgeous afternoon, but over lunch we heard about the super-duper July 4th deal at the Seattle Premier Outlets. Figuring we have the rest of summer to play tennis but only one July 4th weekend sale, the balance tipped on the outlet side.
This mall was big, with a very good selection for outlet mall. Take that comment for what it’s worth, though, because this is coming from someone who treats shopping at malls like a stealth mission. You start with a target, you move in, acquire the target, and get out as fast as possible. (Naturally, Karen is not very fond of this shopping behavior).
As for the July 4th sale, almost everything had a “sale” tag on it, so it wasn’t clear what was really for July 4th. Also, at the entrance of Nautica, some lady handed us a coupon:
Not that we planned to spend $175 on clothes in one store, but we took a quick peek anyway. Finding nothing of value, I tried to hand the coupon back to the lady, but she said, “Oh that’s okay, I don’t need it”. Before I got a chance to say, “Well, I don’t want it either!” she continued, “It’s good until the rest of the year.”
So there you have it. The July 4th sale is a sham, and the expiration dates are there to get you to buy compulsively. That said, there are still deals to be had, but just like any mall, you still have to work to find them. Just don’t buy anything you’re not sure of, because it’s a long way to the return line!
“Stealth mission”?? Why make it sound so mysterious and cryptic? Isn’t that the most completely natural, reasonable way to shop? You need something, you go get it, you leave. Anyone who treats shopping differently is just… well, I won’t say it out loud for fear of being lynched, but you know what I’m talking about.