Down on their heels

Do you understand the appeal of paying more for something, far more than you know very well it's worth?  Does that make you feel good? I don't get it, any more than I get paying a lot of money to wear "designer" clothing with some clothing company's name on it, so that you become a walking billboard, parading around with LEVI'S on your chest or a Kenneth Cole Slaw logo on your whatever.

Marketing studies have shown time and again that if a product is placed out for sale and the price is low, people tend to think it's not worth it...so if the price goes up, they will line up to buy it.

Here's the proof:  You've seen a Payless store if you've even been in a mall anywhere on this planet. It's not far from Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Candles And Things, and that place where they sell beds with a "sleep number." 

Payless has a lot of stores. They had a lot more before they filed for bankruptcy in 2017 and permanently pulled the door down on almost 700 stores, but they still have about 2,750 stores in North America and 3,500 all around the world.

I guess it's a sign that things are going better for them, because they recently found time to play an elaborate practical joke.

First of all, there is such a thing in this world as being an "influencer."  These are the people who wake up one day and decide to wear their underwear OVER their clothes, or use a Hefty trash bag as a rain poncho, and make sure someone takes a picture of them doing so.  Next thing you know, people all over are following the lead of their "influencers."

So Payless found an Armani store that closed up (lack of business) and invited a group of these "influencers" to the grand opening of a "high-end" (meaning low value for high prices) designer shoe emporium. They called it "Palessi."  Like Payless, but it sounds Italian, ya know?

And the gag was, all they sold was regular Payless merchandise, same as you can get when you go the mall and pass by Florist Gump, Bread Pitt, and the Asian Food Court: Pho King Tasty, Wok This Way, and Thai Me Up to get to the shoe store.

And of course, instead of the usual $20 - $40 price, people were breaking their necks to shell out $200 to $600 for boots, hi heels, flats, pumps, and sneakers.

Palessi raked in $3000 in the first hour. One shopper with a whole lot more money than sense spent $640 for a pair of boots marked up 1800%.

Within the first few hours of the grand opening, “Palessi” made about $3,000. One overexcited shopper dropped $640 on a pair of boots at an 1,800% markup.

Sarah Couch is the Chief Marketing Officer for Payless, and she told AdWeek magazine, “The campaign plays off of the enormous discrepancy and aims to remind consumers we are still a relevant place to shop for affordable fashion."

As it turned out, 80 "influencers" showed up for the shindig, and were told about the ruse, and got to keep their shoes AND got their money back.


The day I pay 640 simoleons for a pair of boots will be a frosty day in August, but I would consider shelling out a dollar for peanuts.

Anyway, I guess this says a lot about us as a nation, but I'm not sure it's something we want to hear about us.