Discretion Advised

The Times (of London, not New York) reports on high-end retailers and their efforts to keep sales under wraps. [Times Online]

Not a big surprise, and perfectly understandable. Discounts devalue a brand's image, even though they generate necessary revenue. The trick for retailers, therefore, is attracting (discount) shoppers without drawing too much attention. The practice creates a cat and mouse game that we're plenty familiar with, and is sure to continue for years to come. We do wonder some days whether we -- and other sale sites -- are more of an annoyance or an asset to retailers in the process of unloading merch at a discount. We get feedback that skews both ways. At the end of day, though, it doesn't much matter seeing as how we exist to serve consumers, not retailers.