Zannee’s Blog at BargainsLA.com

Famous invite only sample sale originator, Planet Lulu will be having one of their killer online sales starting 9pm on 1/23 and going through midnight on 1/25. Lines like Joes jeans, Sacred Blue, Diesel, True Religion Taverniti, Blue Cult, Frankie B. Hardy, Andrea S., 2 be free sweats, Cristi Conaway sweaters, Amici handbags, Klub Nico shoes, Tiffany Alana dresses, Juicy Couture velvet jackets (originally were $350… are under $90), Posh Essentials, Lily McNeal, along with accessories including jewelry and watches, run 50%-80% off. In order to shop the sale you’ll need to register before the sale at www.planetlulu.com

As online sale go, this one is one of the very best! But, a word to the wise on this sale… When shopping, the product in your shopping cart is not officially yours until it’s paid for. So to insure you got your item, use the “buy it now” options and check out immediately.

Last day coupon … For a 5% off coupon on the last day of the sale use passcode: lulu52007 at check out. But, this sale is so hot, that if you wait till Friday… Your treasure will probably be with someone else.

You can read and hear more about Planet Lulu and other cool inside fashion info at http://fashiontribes.typepad.com/la_story

I suppose I have more stamina for shopping off price outlets than most people. Ugly exteriors, chaotic interiors, cement floors, communal dressing rooms and even cardboard bins don’t do me in. But I do have my limits and will snap on occasion.

Here’s my advice to store owners:

1. Do greet me and say hello when I enter. Do check on me occasionally as I shop. Completely ignoring me may lose you a sale. Remember you and your employees are the hosts. Good host greet their guests. A simple greeting with a follow up lets the customer know you’re aware they are there and are available if needed.

2. Don’t ask me to check my handbag so I can shop. Chances are you don’t have enough security to keep my stuff safe. My personal ID, palm, cell phone and good credit rating are more valuable than your goods. You ask for them, I’m outta there.

3. Get off the personal phone call when a customer walks in. No one wants to hear the personal matters of someone they don’t know.

4. Don’t offer me an extra discount the second I walk in the door. It will make me distrust you. Wait till after I’ve shopped a little and have shown some interest.

5. Don’t play extremely loud, offensive music. Explicit Gantsa Rap can be and often is offensive. It’s suppose to be. They don’t write that style of music to be played in mall stores… Duh! I really don’t want to hear loud expletives or the sexual exploits of someone while I am shopping. In store music is suppose to be for the customers, not employees. If you play music, make a choice that reflects the store and keeps customers in a good mood.

6. Don’t hover around me. If you are closer than 8 feet, you’re annoying. You don’t need to tell me every detail of every item I am looking at. I have been known to tell over attentive sales clerks to “back off!”

7. If you’re lucky enough to have bi-lingual employees ask them to only speak English in front of customers. Speaking to me in English and then turning around and chatting to another employee in Farsi or Spanish is simply rude. I’ve seen this both in Saks and Big Lots. Real annoying.

8. Pick up your hangers off the ground. I don’t care if you’re a manager or owner, if a customer falls and trips because you can’t keep your floors clean, you’re are liable. Well coordinated customers will just get ticked off and split. I look where I’m walking when I am hiking, not when I am shopping. Keep your aisles clear, even of your store is so busy you can’t keep your shelves or rounders tidy.

9. Find a way to keep the temperature inside your store or warehouse livable. Warehouses without heat or air-conditioning make it difficult for shoppers to stay and shop. Too cold and I won’t try anything on. Too hot and I get dizzy. Invest in some kind of temperature control.

10. Have all your store polices posted clearly so customers see them. Nothing makes me madder than shopping only to find out I can’t buy because you don’t take credit cards or checks. Expletives have been unleashed on such occasions.

I ventured out today to try to find this fragrance outlet in downtown Glendale only to end up at the wrong end of Brand Blvd. without any parking. After circling the block a few times to get a space, I end up walking into the completely wrong store. Have I come out of the holidays such a complete idiot, that I can’t even find a place with an address and Thomas Map guide?

Needing to feel better about myself and also in desperate need of new glasses, I resorted to visiting my favorite eyewear discounter, Happy Eyes, who just happened to be in the same neighborhood. Crowded as usual, I peered into the displays to pick some glasses. Owner, Tony’s side kick Sally lent a hand picking out cool trendy “big” glasses so I could get a pair that was totally “it”.

Gucci, Chloe, Dior, Persel, Armani, Fendi and more. I tried them all on, but couldn’t help feeling like a bug. No amount of persuasion was gonna convince me I looked cool.

After much comparison, indecision and asking everyone’s opinion, I finally settled on these (Yves Saint Laurent):

Fashion is fashion and often temporary at best. When I got down to the nuts and bolts of it, not everyone looks good in the current trends. I have small features and overpowering glasses just makes me look stupid.The dumbest part of all of this is I hadn’t purchased new glasses in 4 years. Sad isn’t it. I hadn’t gone in to get my eyes examined in 4 years either. Tony, who as always was looking out for his clients said he’d hold the glasses for me until I got a newer prescription.

They were such cute frames, I’ve already set up an appointment. (Read More about Happy Eyes)