Wednesday, March 3, 2004 | 8:21 a.m.
There's nothing I like better than following up on those attractive mail pieces that regularly arrive at my house and office. Most of the major stores such as Neiman Marcus, Saks, Macy's, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom send incentive pieces by mail that are often irresistible. Charge customers get preference and always know about sales before the general public does.
The more upscale the store, the better the sale. The past season's merchandise has to go to make way for the new merchandise. Stores that have their own outlet stores use that avenue to dispose of seasonal items. It's a good one for consumers who shop daily, hoping to score some fabulous buys.
It can be done, but this kind of shopping requires stamina and know-how. Watch out for sales tags that say "compare to." Those are not the original tags with the original prices. Only with original tags do you know exactly what you're saving.
Shopping for shoes: "What could possibly make a pair of shoes worth $7,900?" That's the question a reader asked. She had seen the shoes in a fashion magazine, but couldn't remember which one.
Maybe that price includes the toe surgery that I find so outrageous. Ethical foot surgeons won't do these foot-narrowing procedures, but that doesn't stop women who are so captivated by the latest craze that they'll risk it all on the fashion flavor of the day, skyscraper stiletto heels a la Sarah Jessica Parker. On her they look great.
Anyone who wants to go that route can find the tall ankle-twisters at reasonable prices at DSW shoe warehouse stores. I shop at the Henderson store near the Costco on Marks Street and Sunset Road.
Shoes for men and women fill this huge warehouse, yet I can rarely find shoes I want in my size, except for exercise shoes and flats. Just about every brand shoe can be found here if you're lucky.
"A hot new trend in women's dress shoes is the kitten heel, although plenty of stilettos are still out there," said Debbie Ferree, executive vice president of merchandising for DSW.
Ferree also said, "The dress thong lives on! Don't think old-fashioned, these are updated with a 2004 attitude."
Men's shoe fashions for spring are sophisticated with sleek new styles and distressed leathers. What's hot now are square toes with bicycle stitching and seams across the top of the toe in dress shoes. There's more variety and style in dress and casual sandals, and the hardware is cool.
Shop early. Spring fashions go quickly.
South American shoplifters: South American shoplifting teams are stealing more than $2 billion annually from shops in Los Angeles, Miami and New York. This organized crime action is big business.
A hidden camera segment on "60 Minutes" showed the teams at work. While one team member diverted the sales help, the other member swept whole racks of clothing into a concealed booster bag that seemed capacious enough to stow half the store. Most of these well-trained teams are in the USA illegally. If caught, they're deported, but they soon return. I couldn't belive what I was watching, but it was no illusion, it was real.
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