IRVINE, CA—Painstakingly assembling clues from a series of advertisements rolled out over the course of a month, budget-minded consumer Bruce Brown, 52, declared Tuesday that he had evidence proving a so-called “flash sale” at a local department store had, in fact, been strategized to several weeks in advance.…
Painstakingly assembling clues from a series of advertisements rolled out over the course of a month, budget-minded consumer Bruce Brown, 52, declared Tuesday that he had evidence proving a so-called “flash sale” at a local department store had, in fact, been strategized to several weeks in advance.
“Contrary to what they would have us believe, there exists concrete evidence that the rush to provide us these savings is not as urgent as hyperactive television ads and newspaper circulars might imply,” said Brown, holding up two ads for a pair of jeans from the store, dated two weeks apart but both with a large red line through the same “regular” price. “Don’t get me wrong. This is still a great deal.