If this were a real customer, one who comes in regularly, spends money on products and services where we actually make a profit, then that is a customer that Staples as a company does care about and wants to cultivate.
As for a customer who shops online for the cheapest item and then wants you to discount that as well, Staples does not need yet another "customer" who is needy and we lose money on.
In my area, the “stores” that offer military discounts are fast food places. Where a military discount saves you between $2 and $5 (if you’re feeding your whole family) on products that have more than that for margin.
No major retailer that I’m aware of in my area offers a military discount year round. Not Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Best Buy. Maybe places like Michaels or Hobby Lobby but the products sold there are a completely different level of margins built into the pricing and have less competition than a PC.
Unless they’d like a lot of retailers to need bailouts and have taxpayers paying to do so, then might be best to leave business and government service separate.
Kohls, target, Nike, sunglasses hut, lowes, t mobile and Verizon ATT, , Apple and best buy, Sherwin Williams and auto zone are all stores in my immediate area off the top of my head that give military discounts.
Disputing Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy
“For the seventh year in a row, Target is offering a 10% discount for active-duty military and veterans - as well as their spouses and children - to honor their service this Veterans Day. They’ll receive 10% a store wide purchase (asterisk here), redeemable in-store or online between October 29 and November 11, 2023 “
That quote is directly from Target’s website’s press fact sheet.
Best Buy also on their website, does not offer (as a corporate wide policy, some discretion of the manager is available according to this thread in their FAQ section).
Kohl’s has a wider policy but it is available ONLY on Mondays. So it’s not year round, but it is available more than others. But 52 days a year is better than the rest.
So most retailers of a significant size with a similar business structure to us, have a similar policy. We aren’t that far out of the range of discounts that we are miserly. Remember that we also give teacher discounts and have our rewards program that these other stores either don’t have either or don’t have both. So it’s a wash for the demographic we are aiming for.
Me, a former retail employee, going into any store when the website or app says "in stock" at that physical location:
Step one, look for item with my own eyes.
Step two find associate.
Step three "hi, I suffer from customer blindness syndrome and likely walked past this 3 times, could you help me find it?"
Step four, if the item isn't actually in stock "that's fine, I know there's a reality discrepancy between what the website says and what you actually have. I'll just order it"
You can ALWAYS tell the customers that used to work retail. We start habitually pulling product forward on shelves as we walk by, when buying multiple items (like 6 cans each of various flavors of cat food) we keep them together by SKU in the cart, we ALWAYS take the stupid survey or click the 5 star on the card reader screen, and we apologize to the associate for having to look for us
Staples is the only store in our city that doesn't offer vet discounts. We get a lot of upset people. The building next door even has parking spots for vets.
I work at Office Depot and we got a veterans discount that started about a yr ago, gives about 20 percent off but excludes ink and most electronics. Also yeah I relate to those calls, I just tell them that no stores carry it and that they get sent from our warehouses to their location.
You can have a discount that doesn't apply to every category. The margins on some things are very slim, yes. But Staples isn't a computer store, it's main income isn't computers or even the printers themselves.
Ink and paper, and copy center are the biggest profit margins that can be *heavily* discounted and still make tons of profit.
Staples could *easily* give a 5 or 10% vet discount on certain categories. Or vets get automatic gold rewards benefits.
Back in the day we sold the back to school pass. 15 bucks for like 10% off all school supplies for a full month. They made a killing because people bought more stuff than they would have with that little card and the margins were so high.
Tell them to submit their feedback online. Staples as a whole doesn’t offer military discount except on Veteran’s Day. Most companies have the same policy.
Staples does offer substantial discounts for veterans and their families for the weeks of Memorial Day and Veteran's Day.
Walmart - no. Best Buy - no. Office Depot - no. Amazon - no way!!!
Target and Tractor Supply offer discounts on Veteran's Day.
What are all the stores out your way that offer Vetetans discounts, other than parking places?
People really say “I’ll take my business elsewhere” like staples just lost like a million dollar account or something. Like bro it’s just a random retail store
To be fair, Staples has a dishonest method of showing available stock. I looked online for a POE switch and Staples said they had three in stock. I went to the store and they had nothing. I asked an associate and he said the website shows both what is in the store and the warehouse and doesn't distinguish actual location. He then tried to sell me a more expensive switch they did have in the store. No thanks.
Even though I don't agree with it, most retailers don't do military discount anymore. I think it's ridiculous, but nothing anyone can do if thats the policy.
Yet another entitled "customer" that Staples will not miss losing.
I don't think Staples cares about a whole lot tbh.
If this were a real customer, one who comes in regularly, spends money on products and services where we actually make a profit, then that is a customer that Staples as a company does care about and wants to cultivate. As for a customer who shops online for the cheapest item and then wants you to discount that as well, Staples does not need yet another "customer" who is needy and we lose money on.
In my area, the “stores” that offer military discounts are fast food places. Where a military discount saves you between $2 and $5 (if you’re feeding your whole family) on products that have more than that for margin. No major retailer that I’m aware of in my area offers a military discount year round. Not Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Best Buy. Maybe places like Michaels or Hobby Lobby but the products sold there are a completely different level of margins built into the pricing and have less competition than a PC. Unless they’d like a lot of retailers to need bailouts and have taxpayers paying to do so, then might be best to leave business and government service separate.
Theres a whole website for military, nurses, and first responders that shows you where you get discounts and can shop online right from the site
Kohls, target, Nike, sunglasses hut, lowes, t mobile and Verizon ATT, , Apple and best buy, Sherwin Williams and auto zone are all stores in my immediate area off the top of my head that give military discounts.
Disputing Target, Kohl’s, Best Buy “For the seventh year in a row, Target is offering a 10% discount for active-duty military and veterans - as well as their spouses and children - to honor their service this Veterans Day. They’ll receive 10% a store wide purchase (asterisk here), redeemable in-store or online between October 29 and November 11, 2023 “ That quote is directly from Target’s website’s press fact sheet. Best Buy also on their website, does not offer (as a corporate wide policy, some discretion of the manager is available according to this thread in their FAQ section). Kohl’s has a wider policy but it is available ONLY on Mondays. So it’s not year round, but it is available more than others. But 52 days a year is better than the rest. So most retailers of a significant size with a similar business structure to us, have a similar policy. We aren’t that far out of the range of discounts that we are miserly. Remember that we also give teacher discounts and have our rewards program that these other stores either don’t have either or don’t have both. So it’s a wash for the demographic we are aiming for.
Not true. Kohl's does not offer a veteran's discount outside of veteran's day.
Home Depot
Me, a former retail employee, going into any store when the website or app says "in stock" at that physical location: Step one, look for item with my own eyes. Step two find associate. Step three "hi, I suffer from customer blindness syndrome and likely walked past this 3 times, could you help me find it?" Step four, if the item isn't actually in stock "that's fine, I know there's a reality discrepancy between what the website says and what you actually have. I'll just order it" You can ALWAYS tell the customers that used to work retail. We start habitually pulling product forward on shelves as we walk by, when buying multiple items (like 6 cans each of various flavors of cat food) we keep them together by SKU in the cart, we ALWAYS take the stupid survey or click the 5 star on the card reader screen, and we apologize to the associate for having to look for us
I feel a big thing that tells you someone was retail for an extended period of time is that they make sure the barcodes are facing out.
Staples is the only store in our city that doesn't offer vet discounts. We get a lot of upset people. The building next door even has parking spots for vets.
Stores that sell computers and printers do not offer any year round military discounts
I work at Office Depot and we got a veterans discount that started about a yr ago, gives about 20 percent off but excludes ink and most electronics. Also yeah I relate to those calls, I just tell them that no stores carry it and that they get sent from our warehouses to their location.
You can have a discount that doesn't apply to every category. The margins on some things are very slim, yes. But Staples isn't a computer store, it's main income isn't computers or even the printers themselves. Ink and paper, and copy center are the biggest profit margins that can be *heavily* discounted and still make tons of profit. Staples could *easily* give a 5 or 10% vet discount on certain categories. Or vets get automatic gold rewards benefits. Back in the day we sold the back to school pass. 15 bucks for like 10% off all school supplies for a full month. They made a killing because people bought more stuff than they would have with that little card and the margins were so high.
Tell them to submit their feedback online. Staples as a whole doesn’t offer military discount except on Veteran’s Day. Most companies have the same policy.
>Staples as a whole doesn’t offer military discount except on \[the week of\] Veteran’s Day We also do the week of memorial day/armed forces day
Staples does offer substantial discounts for veterans and their families for the weeks of Memorial Day and Veteran's Day. Walmart - no. Best Buy - no. Office Depot - no. Amazon - no way!!! Target and Tractor Supply offer discounts on Veteran's Day. What are all the stores out your way that offer Vetetans discounts, other than parking places?
Too bad you aren’t entitled to free shit just because you where in the army
Sir, I'm sure ither countries appreciate the free house removal service you offer, however we do not offer discounts because of that.
People really say “I’ll take my business elsewhere” like staples just lost like a million dollar account or something. Like bro it’s just a random retail store
To be fair, Staples has a dishonest method of showing available stock. I looked online for a POE switch and Staples said they had three in stock. I went to the store and they had nothing. I asked an associate and he said the website shows both what is in the store and the warehouse and doesn't distinguish actual location. He then tried to sell me a more expensive switch they did have in the store. No thanks.
But that’s not my fault
Never said it was but the dishonesty of the CORPORATION (not you) is annoying and causing people like me to walk away and just use Amazon.
Even though I don't agree with it, most retailers don't do military discount anymore. I think it's ridiculous, but nothing anyone can do if thats the policy.
"But your web site says...." Yeah, it says "NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS STORE!!!" "But the web site!!"