Simple quilt shop question:
 

A quilt shop that is across the country from me listed a coupon in their newsletter. I emailed them to see if I can use it for an online order. They said "no" but stop in if I'm in the area. (I will never be in the area!) I'd like to understand why they wouldn't want me to use the coupon for an online order. By the way it was for 40% off one item. I would be paying shipping. Any thoughts?

I guess they have their reasons, but I would think that whether on-line or in-store (especially with you paying shipping) that it would be the same thing...to me a sell is a sell.

Maybe they just don't want to deal with packaging and taking it someplace for shipping? Also, maybe they'd have to collect and file something out of the ordinary for taxes for out of state?

The shop may be in a town without their own post office and the extra time and cost to them to drive miles to a post office would take from any profit they might make. A shop don't make any money with 40% coupons. Besides that, the shop may be owned and run by on person, who would be the one to pack and ship the package. Online shopping is not an option for some shops.

Seems like bad business to me. As in todays world I think most people do more and more shopping online all the time. At times I would almost prefer t do it this was as gas is not cheap and you can shop and look for as long as you want without dealing with crowds and rude people.

The coupon should have printed right on it that it's only good for in-store purchases as a customer courtesy to save them making a phone call.

I would guess the purpose of the coupon is to get people in the shop; and hopefully they will leave with a lot more than just the one item.

Sometimes the shops have lower prices online than in the store.....they aren't profitting from the shipping, so maybe that's it...

They DO offer online shopping. That's how I found them in the first place. They just won't let me use their coupon online.

and Guess this must be it, either or both. The fabric I would have bought was $9.99/yd. Many place sell their fabric when it's on sale at $6/yd. so it seemed reasonable to me.
I can always find more things to buy and would have done so, so they did lose that sale too. Oh well, I don't see it as a good business practice either but I don't know much about business, just what I do and do not consider reasonable.

The only purpose of a coupon is to get you in the store, and hopefully once you're in the store you'll see some other things you like, thus making up for the money the owner is losing on the coupon item. Joanne fabrics run these single-item high-percentage-off coupons constantly.

High-percentage off, single item coupons don't work as well on online stores, it's too easy for people to just buy one item and check out without looking at other stuff.

Combine this with the fact that it requires just as much in labor cost and usually just as much in packing material costs to pack and ship a single item as it does to pack and ship a larger order, and you can see why this type of coupon isn't seen much in online stores.

In an online store, you're more likely to see a coupon with a lower percentage off that can be used on an entire order, or a free shipping offer with a lower threshold.

Their coupon, their business, their rules. In the overall scheme of life, how vital is one 40% off coupon?

That makes sense.

True. I certainly didn't argue with the shop in any way as it is their choice. I just didn't understand why they would make this choice and hoped others (perhaps shop owners) could explain it to me. And some people did have ideas that didn't occur. I now see that if many people just bought one item, the shop would lose their profits. I rarely just buy one thing from a store and if I went into that store with the coupon, I would have bought more but most likely would have bought more online too, although I see that others might just buy one thing.

How would they redeem the coupon? Would you mail it back to them? That would be a lot of extra work and waiting to ship out the package. JMHO

I know times are tough and we are all trying to save but COME ON! LQS are working on a slim profit margin as it is and have to set limits on coupons. I do not think it is terrible not to accept a coupon on on-line purchase. Thery are just trying to stay in business. Use another on line shop that has sales or coupons.

they simply may not be set up that way online. small shops are having trouble and keep things simple.

That makes sense too. Thank you for your non-confrontational response!

You did ask a simple question and seem to just want information. I don't know why some people seem to be attacking you. My guess is that the shop didn't want to have to deal with a lot of online orders for just one item. JoAnn's has a 40% off coupon that people could use to just buy one item. Once you figure out shipping costs, I think most people would buy more than one item. I'm guessing the shop might have other items that were on sale and the coupon might have let them to many sales or it might have resulted in many small sales that they didn't want.

you really should have just inquired as to why while you had them on the phone, they are the only one who has the correct answer.

I would just ask them -- in a nice way -- the reason for this policy. Perhaps they do have a reasonable explanation, though I can't imagine what it might be.

I thought at the time that it would seem rude to ask. Maybe not. Now I wish I had asked as I'd still really like to know.

That's a no brainer. They want you in the shop where you'll secome to buyer's inpulse and spend more than you would have on line. I find it very easy to NOT post my on-line order after I've looked at the bottom line and the shipping costs.
MaryKatherine

That's exactly what I was thinking. "If we can get you in our store where you see (and touch!) all our beautiful things, we'll make up for the amount the coupon saves you." Hopefully next time they will add "for in-store purchases only" on the coupon.

I agree with they just want you to leer you in to their shop. Chances are you will find something additional to purchase. With online shopping chances are you will purchase what you need.

"Sales coupons" are to get you in the store. . . hoping to sell you other stuff or at least build some customer "warm fuzzy" feelings about the store so you will come back. Can't do that on line.

A 40% coupon is to get you into their shop. Once in the shop their hope is that you will purchase more than the one item. Ordering on line defeats the purpose. That is why JoAnn's is so liberal with their coupons. Most of the time you go and everything is already on sale but you usually find something you need.
Just my thoughts. :-)

Some people have no business sense.

if I had to guess......its because they give coupons for ONE reason ONLY....to "intice" a shopper into the store in hopes they see something else they can't live without. its called "Big Business" and it works......just think about it.....how many times have u gone into a store....whether supermarket or otherwise with a "great" "coupon" and left without picking up something else while there???

It could be that their online shopping cart software is not configured to allow for coupons.

Not all carts have all the "bells and whistles". Some don't even have tiny jingle bells!