I don’t need deals on glue sticks and notebooks to know September is coming. I can measure time by the sudden influx of inquiries on the incessantly popular Thymes Warehouse Sale. So here’s what you need to know: the 2011 Thymes Warehouse Sale will take place at 63 Saint Anthony Parkway, Mpls. Hours are: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday Oct. 7 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Expect big deals on bath, body and home products from the Minneapolis-based brand. And pack a snack – last year’s check-out line took at hour at some points.
To plan your sale shopping all year, be sure to check out our calendar of the Best Annual Sales in Shops – yours with the September issue of Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, now on newsstands!
The annual Thymes Warehouse Sale in Minneapolis is a shopping phenomenon – the likes of which most retailers and brands only dream of: lines an hour long, parking a half mile away – amazing what bargain hunters will put up with to get lotion and soap for 50 to 80 percent off. Here’s what they say:
Sales are not Galleria’s style. The posh Edina, Minn. center doesn’t technically forbid discount racks, but garish sale signs are frowned upon. “It’s just not our customers’ favorite thing,” said Jill Noack, vice president and general manager of Galleria. “They don’t want to buy a dress and see it on sale the next week.” The center may be charmed (it consistently boasts an occupancy rate higher than just about any competitor in town and is home to Minnesota’s only Tiffany & Co. and Louis Vuitton stores), but that doesn’t mean everything sells at full price. So shops have gotten in the habit of outsourcing. Len Druskin has created a whole new business with its Len Druskin Outlet stores; others team up for off-site liquidation sales or sell to outlet retailers. Well, if you can’t beat the sales, Noack figured the center should try to stage its own – Galleria style. For the first time ever Thursday, July 15 to Saturday, July 17, Galleria will host the Galleria Clearance Experience with food sampling, product demos and, of course, lots and lots of discounts – as much as 80 percent off at some stores. Around 40 retailers are participating. If it’s a hit – and hard to believe it wouldn’t be – Noack says she could imagine doing this type of major blow-out twice a year. No more. And what happens to the sale merchandise that hasn’t sold by the end of the three-day “experience?” Noack hopes it will disappear – to charities, outlets – anywhere but her center. We’ll see.
On Friday, July 16, Nordstrom will introduce new fall merchandise at discounted prices. After August 1, the prices go up. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is a sale for planners who can think ahead to leather boots and wool suits when outside it’s 90 and humid. It is a sale designed to make shoppers feel special – like they’re getting a deal before anyone else. But getting that opportunity with everyone else isn’t enough – the department store lets some customers pre-shop the sale. Ask and most sales associates will say the pre-shopping opportunity – which means avoiding crowds, getting first pick and having your selections shipped to your home at no cost – is open to Nordstrom card holders. But I know some credit card holders who don’t get invited. And I know at least one person who doesn’t have a Nordstrom card, or an unlimited budget, and still, she gets invited to pre-shop every year. So what’s the real story? Ask. Nicely. The pre-shopping is open through Wednesday, July 14, I was told when I called the children’s shoe department today. At first, the salesperson told me I’d need a Nordstrom card to shop ahead. When I pressed, and mentioned my friend, she said I could come in make my picks from the new sale merch. Sales associates are out to establish relationships, and helping shoppers buy early and feel excited about it is the perfect way to create those ties. Meanwhile, If you’re content to preview the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale online – including beauty exclusives, click here.
Post-Christmas sale shoppers are a calmer, quieter bunch than the crowd that hits the malls on Black Friday. These folks live by a simple credo: gift wrap and holiday decor should never be purchased for less than 50 percent off. I joined the diehards before sunrise the day after Christmas at Kohl’s, Herberger’s, JC Penney and Macy’s. Herberger’s at Rosedale was by far the busiest (my, those Herberger’s shoppers are devoted) – thanks to coupons in the paper and some 60 to 70 percent off deals. Now, we’re talking. But overall, the line at Caribou Coffee was longer than at any store. There definitely are deals to be had right now — especially if you could use a sweater or some boots (no, not the Uggs — those are still full price). Just don’t expect the discounts to be a whole lot better than they were before Christmas. And if you thought you could sleep in and still score some cheap gift wrap, you’re probably right. But you might have to settle for that unfortunate gold.
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I don’t need deals on glue sticks and notebooks to know September is coming. I can measure time by the sudden influx of inquiries on the incessantly popular Thymes Warehouse Sale. So here’s what you need to know: the 2011 Thymes Warehouse Sale will take place at 63 Saint Anthony Parkway, Mpls. Hours are: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 6 and Friday Oct. 7 and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 8. Expect big deals on bath, body and home products from the Minneapolis-based brand. And pack a snack – last year’s check-out line took at hour at some points.
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