Discount Shopping Myths

It amazes me how there are plenty of shoppers out there that still do not understand or fully comprehend the concept of "Discounts" or "SALES". I will try to clear out some facts about sales without getting into too much detail. I will try to bust some of the myths that many shoppers believe about Sales.

• Shops offer their entire stock on sale
  Myth. The majority of discounted items (if not all) are from previous seasons/collections that could go 3 or 4 years back. This can be clearly noticed in women's clothing shops when 'professional' female shopping junkies notice that very few "new" items are on sale and "those boots from last year's collection are suddenly back on the shelf again".
  
• During discounts, shops make more sales but less profit
  Myth. Believe it or not, in SALES, shops make more marginal profits than they do in non-sale periods. Successful shops that hit their sales targets, carry remaining inventory from that closed season. Its this inventory that becomes "discounted items". So, even if they sell these 'leftover' items for 1 dirham, all the revenue generated, discounting the cost of inventory, will be pure profit.
  
• All shops jack up tag prices the night before Sales.
  Partial myth. Most respectable (franchise-managed) retail outlets are audited by the chamber of commerce (or whatever economic body) to verify original price lists, making sure that promoted/discounted prices are actually reduced. Questionable shops, however, do play this jack-up prices game and they are usually spotted by smart/avid shoppers.
  
• Shop employees get to get all the "good stuff" first
  FACT. Majority of shops offer in-store early-bird SALE for staff, family and friends before the official sale period. This is one way shop owners/managers try to (1) give employees a moral boost before the whole Sales frenzy hits and (2) to maximize sales of course.

I can't think of anymore myths ... Can you?