Retail Day
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Blue cross question
Does anyone know the origin of the term Blue Cross Sale, as favoured by Debenhams? We’ve been debating it in the office and are sure there must be an explanation.
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on Apr 16th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Perhaps it was inspired by the Kmart Blue Light Special?
on Apr 16th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
A quick google search throws up the Hartlepool United club shop as well as numerous Debenhams references. Tempting as it is to credit the term to the North-East’s most overlooked football team, I think it originated in the US; my recollection is that Sears, and/or K-mart were using the term back in the 1980s.
on Apr 24th, 2009 at 4:15 pm
A Blue Cross Sale is primarily a United Kingdom retailing device for signifying a day of further reductions in sale prices already on offer. It is usually marked by signs throughout the store showing a large blue cross, the words “Blue Cross Sale”, and the percentage by which the sale prices are further reduced. On occasions it is advertised as “Blue Cross Day” though in many cases the sale is not limited to a single day. This device was first introduced in 1970 in the then Lewis’s Department Stores, and was originally the idea of Peter Wiard, the company’s Chief Accountant. It was introduced to reduce the time taken by staff re-marking all the individual sale tickets by the requisite percentage in time for the following day’s opening time.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 10:16 am
Yes, it was my idea! I wish that I had patented it, for by now I would be a very wealthy man!
I sill get a small thrill every time I see the signs in stores, though now it is pricipally only used by Debenhams. I would be very pleased to hear if it is used in other countries.
on Nov 1st, 2009 at 10:18 am
Yes, it was my idea! I wish that I had patented it, for by now I would be a very wealthy man!
I still get a small thrill every time I see the signs in stores, though now it is principally only used by Debenhams. I would be very pleased to hear if it is used in other countries.