Woodies "20% off" sale

Kashkai

I'm planning a big DIY job next week and so I've been keeping track of paint and insulation prices in my local Woodies both pre and post Christmas. Three weeks ago, 5 litres of Dulux vinyl soft sheen paint was €42.99. Yesterday, in their "20% off sale", it was priced at €47.99 on the shelf with 20% off which gives you €38.39 to pay. While it is still a saving of €4.59 compared to three weeks ago, it is not a "massive 20% reduction" as they've hiked their prices over Christmas to fool people into thinking they are saving more than they actually are. Another example is attic insulation that was €24.99 three weeks ago and is now marked at €29.99 or €23.99 with their "20% off". So you are just saving a euro compared to what you would have paid (i.e. €24.99) three weeks ago. I have photos on my phone to prove what the prices were three weeks ago so I know I'm not making a mistake here.

I'm looking around elsewhere now to buy what I need as Woodies' smart ar$e sales tactics have put me off buying from them.

TerrorFirmer

Woodies have the same 20% off sale every year and don't usually do that, it just so happened there was a permanent price increase in paint prior to the sale sometime in December. Those prices will stay the same even post sale, it wasn't intended as a misleading sale offer.

Kashkai

I'm not aware of the paint price increase and so cannot argue that with you but the attic insulation was €24.99 pre sale and is now marked at €29.99 in their "sale". BTW, they also tacked a few extra euro onto coving as well, i.e. €40 three weeks ago and now €44. I'd say this has happened to a lot of their prices and so their 20% sale is more like a 10% sale at best. Sure its still a few quid off but its the underhand and blatant dishonest sales practice, i.e. hiking prices and then announcing a "massive 20% off" sale that annoys me.

TerrorFirmer

Actually the reason for that is that prior to the sale, they had ongoing promotions - each month Woodies have different promotions, and some, like insulation, happen to be ongoing promotions. In order to have a blanket 20% off everything in store, they had to remove all those old promotions on the system. So, the 150mm insulation was always listed as 29.99, just discounted on the tills. So anything that was reduced from x to y, 5 for 5E, 2 for 10E, so on, so forth, are now discontinued, so that the 20% can be applied evenly and hassle free across the board on the 'original' price of everything, if you understand what I mean. Just unfortunate coincidence that the examples you've picked were already on a different promotion prior to the 20% off, and the other was simply a price increase.

wmpdd3

I found that with all hardware places last year when were were pricing a new kitchen. It got so confusing that like you, I took pictures of the prices and the size of the containers. Even the local hardware store had 2 or 3 price changes in the 6 weeks we were looking.

In the end we bought about 50 items over the 3 shops. Items like chipboard, doors, paint, seals, hinges etc.

With a sale price the item must be on sale for 28 days in one of the company's stores at the higher price. I think its a grey area with 20% off, store seem to think its 20% off what ever the price is that day.

maxer68

Hi Dave

I'm guessing you're from prosperous - would you not check McCarthys first - i usually find them to be much cheaper than Woodies. My second port of call would be Ted Johnstons in Naas and then either B&Q or woodies.

blossom180

Homebase have all Dulux Paint Buy one get 2nd one half price.

Kashkai

maxer68 wrote: »

Hi Dave

I'm guessing you're from prosperous - would you not check McCarthys first - i usually find them to be much cheaper than Woodies. My second port of call would be Ted Johnstons in Naas and then either B&Q or woodies.

Hi Maxer,

My wife checked McCarthys yesterday and they are charging €55 for a 5 litre tin of Dulux paint which is over €16 dearer than Woodies. While I'd like to shop locally to support local jobs (some of the people working there are my children's school friend's parents), that is way too high a mark up for me.

Btw, I've heard that most of the staff there are now on a 3 day week and judging by how he's let a lot of stock run down (or even disappear completely), I'd be worried that he's about to go out of business. Pity as he's handy if I need a bag of screws or some timber for a job. I guess investing €8 million in a new "Woodies" style store in a small, out of the way country village just as the recession hit wasn't such a great idea for him.

I'll check Johnstons on my way home this evening.

slimjimmc

wmpdd3 wrote: »

I found that with all hardware places last year when were were pricing a new kitchen. It got so confusing that like you, I took pictures of the prices and the size of the containers. Even the local hardware store had 2 or 3 price changes in the 6 weeks we were looking.

In the end we bought about 50 items over the 3 shops. Items like chipboard, doors, paint, seals, hinges etc.

With a sale price the item must be on sale for 28 days in one of the company's stores at the higher price. I think its a grey area with 20% off, store seem to think its 20% off what ever the price is that day.

I used to think that too but apparently according to the NCA (a statutory consumer watchdog) the law just states the old price must have been displayed for a reasonable period. The 28 consecutive days is the NCA's guideline, basically they consider any 28 consecutive days during the 3 months preceding the discount as reasonable. If the hardware shop had a higher price for the month of Oct then they meet NCA guidelines unless they specifically deceive the consumer.

Fries-With-That

Hi Dave,


I see you were looking the traditional brand name paints for your DIY work.

May I suggest you go back to Woodies and have a look at their own paint range (manufactured by Fleetwood AFAIK).

The week before Christmas they were selling various colours (5L Size) at half price the containers have a sticker on them.
The colour selection is good, not just colours that you might use on a feature wall.

They also had an offer on that if you purchased a 2.5l of their own brand colour you got a 2.5L of ceiling paint free.