# Joseph A Bank **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 10, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221 "2011-03-10T20:53:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Shmendrik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Shmendrik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shmendrik)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/1 "2011-03-10T20:53:46Z")
Does this company actually thrive with its marketing model of > [@Joseph A Bank](#): > > “HOLY CRAP WE’RE HAVING AN INSANELY UNBELIEVABLE SALE! BUY ONE GET THREE FREE! 60% OFF EVERYTHING!!!111!!!” Don’t people clue into the fact that they constantly have these sales, therefore their “normal prices” must be massively inflated, and therefore the only information conveyed by their advertisements is “We are a clothing store which exists”? When I put it that way, maybe a lot of advertising is like that. But they seem more breathless than most. ---
**Author:** ![Fiddle\_Peghead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddle_peghead/32/3506_2.png) [@Fiddle\_Peghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiddle_Peghead)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/2 "2011-03-10T20:55:51Z")
This type of sale says to me, “Incredibly cheap and crappy suits now available. Get 'em while they last!” ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/3 "2011-03-10T21:31:52Z")
No, Joseph A. Bank sells good stuff. It’s just that like **Shmendrik** says, the non-sale price is ridiculously inflated. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/4 "2011-03-10T21:38:44Z")
It’s technically [JoS. A. Bank](http://www.josbank.com/menswear/shop/Home_11001_10050?source=gooogle&keyword=jos_a_bank). ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/5 "2011-03-10T21:57:53Z")
I guess their thinking is that you have to buy three times as much stuff. If a fair price is X and you sell it for X, lots of people will only buy one. If you charge 3X and say “get two free”, they’ll buy three for 3X instead of one for X. And yeah, they’ll figure out that the price of 3X for one is a joke, but so what? They’ll still buy three. ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/6 "2011-03-10T22:20:22Z")
Yeah, I’m a big fan of Jos. A Bank because they actually carry my size, but I wish they would just price their clothes at whatever the average sale price is and stop with all the crazy, ever-changing deals. It’s insane. ---
**Author:** ![MeanOldLady](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/meanoldlady/32/10737_2.png) [@MeanOldLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MeanOldLady)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/7 "2011-03-10T22:34:56Z")
Yup. My old man was not a little dude, so he found it difficult to go into, say, Macy\*s and pick up something that a) fit and b) wasn’t awful. They make decent clothing, but their SUNDAY! SUNDAY! SUNDAY! marketing tactics are grating. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/8 "2011-03-10T23:12:30Z")
> [@Giraffe](#): > > Yeah, I’m a big fan of Jos. A Bank because they actually carry my size . . . Yes, they carry items that fit my 6’10" partner, but we won’t shop there because of the orgasmic commercials. ---
**Author:** ![sugar\_and\_spice](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e8c25b/32.png) [@sugar\_and\_spice](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sugar_and_spice)\ **Post date:** [March 10, 2011, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/9 "2011-03-10T23:12:38Z")
Macy’s and a lot of women’s mall stores do the same thing. There’s an initial price, within a few weeks there will be a “30% off!” sign on the display, and if you sign up for the emails or watch the newspaper then you get another coupon at least once a month. I’ve always assumed they’re trying to attract 2 different groups of shoppers: (a) store-loyal shoppers who are attracted to coupons, sales, etc. and (b) people who hate coupons but don’t mind paying full price if they can get in, find exactly what they want and get out of there. Who they expect to miss is © people who want to see bargain prices on every item all the time, for that you go to closeout places TJ Maxx, Ross, etc. (or discount stores like Target). Not trying to claim I’m a marketing guru, this is all WAG. ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/10 "2011-03-11T04:39:34Z")
[Charles Thywitt](http://www.ctshirts.co.uk/default.aspx?q=usddefault%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C%7C) also seems to have the perpetual suit sale. ---
**Author:** ![legalsnugs](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/45deac/32.png) [@legalsnugs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/legalsnugs)\ **Post date:** [March 11, 2011, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/joseph-a-bank/574221/11 "2011-03-11T19:15:03Z")
My husband and I hit JoS. A. Bank during our annual visit to the U.S., to get his office clothes. They have good things, and yes, there’s always a sale, so we load up. His system is to walk into a store, try on one shirt, get that shirt in 8 colors, move on to pants, try on one, buy in every color, pay, leave. Since I hate to shop too, it’s a good system. We don’t worry about the commercials because we don’t live in the U.S. Maybe you’d like the store better if you didn’t watch television?