Deals worth the wait: Williams-Sonoma twice-yearly blowout
Filed under: Bargains, Shopping
Some deals only come around once or twice a year, but offer savings that justify the wait. This post is part of our series on such 'don't miss' sales.
In my house we have two dogs and four cats, along with two adults and two little girls. Because of that, our home has that Sanford & Son aura about it. Our kitchen is decorated in a style that I believe is called Early American Garage Sale, and the only reason our fancy table linens are monogrammed is because a couple years ago, our daughters practiced writing their initials with some permanent markers.
Anyway, I'm mentioning this because I assume Williams-Sonoma was thinking of families like mine when it began doing their semi-annual blowout sale, which occurs twice a year -- in January and June.
Williams-Sonoma, the high-end cookware purveyor that you'll often see in malls, slashes its prices to something like 75% sometimes, though more commonly items will be half off. Small wonder that blogs devoted to shopping often discuss low prices you can find in kitchen items, linens and decorations. In fact, it may lack the cult following that some stores have, but the 250 Williams-Sonoma stores have its enthusiastic fans.
"Williams-Sonoma is synonymous with quality," concluded one Wisconsin reporter recently when reviewing its line of cookbooks. Yes, that's right, the store has its own cookbooks (and cooking classes can be found in some of its stores). The latest titles are Essentials of Breakfast & Brunch and Essentials of Italian. Another book is called Williams-Sonoma Complete Grilling Cookbook-The Best of Grilling and Outdoor Cooking, and then there's that beloved classic, C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race by Geoff Williams-Sonoma.
I guess I've never mentioned (to anyone) that I'm related to the Williams of Williams-Sonoma. So, yes, if you're the fan of the store, you'll want to pick up my book... but not at Williams-Sonoma, since it's only sold in bookstores.
And if you think I'm making this up, just for some pathetic attempt to boost my sales, well... that hurts. I won't even dignify that suggestion with an answer.
Geoff Williams is a business journalist, primarily for Entrepreneur magazine, and the author of C.C. Pyle's Amazing Foot Race: The True Story of the 1928 Coast-to-Coast Run Across America (Rodale). We made some calls to Williams-Sonoma. They've never heard of him.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-20-2008 @ 8:22AM
Jim said...
I 'like' williams-sonoma, great stuff !! Its the only mall type store that I can spend quite some time in, looking, and shopping. Otherwise, its an auto parts store, or, hardware related store. Yep, I like cooking, and experimenting with foods, not very manly, I know, but, hey !! whatever !! Still a cool store. 'I' rule our kitchen, and I try to keep the 'wife out', go figure??
I can cook better than she can, and I keep it clean and orderly. I throw out junk, and try to keep good tools , organized, for better use.
I keep a well stocked 'spice' pantry, love to make really great foods, not a lot of red meat, more fish, or, chicken, and great vegie meals. I grow a large garden, every year, fresh erb's, all year long. GO sonoma !!
No, I'm not trying to sell anything, and I'm not related to the company !!
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3-20-2008 @ 10:31AM
Jim said...
It sounds like you are full of yourself, Jim. Does your wife do anything right?
3-20-2008 @ 10:31AM
Lor said...
I adore W-S and never knew they had two sales a year! They have everything on my cooking and canning wish lists so I will mark a reminder in my calendar for this event.
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3-20-2008 @ 12:43PM
mary said...
W-S does have great products. They also "skim the cream" by charging a 400% mark-up, if not more to their products. They still make a huge profit when you purchase an item for 75% off the former ticketed price. As a former employee of W-S, I have learned to wait for the big sales. I have also found the very same items from the very same vendors at BB&B, HomeGoods, and the Martha Stewart line at Macy's. The very same, for a more reasonable price. The psychology of the W-S concept is one feels "worth it" when one owns something from W-S. Don't be so easily charmed, be wise. Also, through out the year you will see mark-downs on soon to expire food. Most items will be safe for consumtion long after the expiration dates.
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3-20-2008 @ 6:25PM
Wolfster said...
Yeah, Jim sounds like a smug, selfish prick all right. My cousin is like him. Would never allow a penny spent on the kitchen when his wife was in it. When their dishwasher broke, she had to wash by hand. Then he took up cooking and everything was suddenly top-of-the-line, gourmet - even brand new dishwasher - and he kicked her out and wouldn't let her touch any of it. She has to go begging in other areas so he can buy more expensive, overspecialized crap for "his" kitchen. So there are 2 self-satisfied jerk-offs like this, go figure.
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3-20-2008 @ 8:40PM
Steve said...
I'm also a huge fan of W-S. Started cooking well after my kids were grown. Guess that's the first time I had to relax and play a little. My wife couldn't be happier. We're currently building a new house with a gourmet kitchen... with enough room for us BOTH to cook at the same time! I don't know what that will do to the old "I cook, you wash dishes" program though?!
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