Call this a humblebrag I guess, but a post that was meant to be about several retailers and their Memorial Day Sales has suddenly turned in to a story about appreciating solid customer service from a retailer I’m sure you’ve heard of – Saks Fifth Avenue. I’ll let the other thousands of instagram influencers/bloggers tell you the same sale narratives going on this weekend from Express, LOFT, Amazon, Target, etc….just google it or use the hashtag #memorialdaysale on Instagram and you’ll get what you need.

For the record I am in no way affiliated, sponsored, or collaborating with any brand let alone Saks Fifth Avenue so this experience is as authentic as get it gets.

The story here is this: a little over a month ago I took advantage of a rare promotion Saks Fifth Avenue was running where you would get a tiered discount on your purchase, getting $50 OFF for every $200 you spend. Depending on the brand and the item, promotions like these give you the opportunity to get designer items that normally never go on sale, especially handbags and accessories that are non-seasonal and represent more of a brand’s icon style.

With a little purchase strategy and a gift card I had from my birthday I gifted myself a nice Givenchy Antigona bag. Again this happened a little over a month ago and I was happy with the deal.

While on a stroller walk today with Cortlan, I randomly sat down to look in my emails to review some of the upcoming Memorial Day retailer sales happening. When I checked out Saks Fifth Avenue, I discovered that the bag I had purchased was on sale FOR EVEN MORE than what I bought it for. Well #$@&*%!!!! I said to myself, I should have waited! I’m sure something like this has happened to all of us before, where we should have waited but couldn’t, or an item just ended up going on sale the day after you bought it etc. Most retailers offer some sort of price adjustment policy for this type of scenario, but I have NEVER bothered to check on stuff I’ve bought, let alone see if it falls under some sort of policy where I could be reimbursed for the difference.

Now I totally know there are some people that shop like this and even take advantage of price adjustment policies, believe me, I’ve worked for a clothing retailer and seen firsthand the shoppers that do this. I just have to think the ‘abusers’ have some sort of bad karma coming their way via the universe and move on.

Anyways as I’m sitting there on my phone and seeing the sale price and thinking wow I could have saved $200+ had I waited longer, I did wonder if it was possible to get a price adjustment. Not only that, but in theory I could have just ordered the bag again, found the receipt from my original purchase, and ‘return’ the same new bag again to get the savings. Although a ‘hassle’, technically if it saved me over $200 umm yea I would do it, in theory, but I also think about if there’s some sort of bad karma involved in that scenario too…

So I noticed on the Saks website (this is all via my phone, mind you), that you could do an online chat regarding your order if you had questions. I started a mobile chat and asked the online ‘associate’ about my situation, saying I had purchased a handbag over a month ago and now it was listed at an additional significant discount. The associate immediately checked to see if they could honor the sale price, and as I ‘sweated it out’ waiting for a response, I thought there was no way in hell I would fall under this for eligibility. Much to my absolute surprise, they DID offer and initiate a price adjustment, without me even actually asking for it. 😮

So if you want to talk about not only convenience (doing this all via my phone basically as a text message conversation) but exceptional customer service, then please, take a look at Saks Fifth Avenue. Now, I’m all about doing business local when I can, however, there are just some brands and retailers the good ol’ state of Iowa will never carry, but since we are a global market anyways with the internet, we don’t necessarily need a Rodeo Drive to get access to designers like ‘back in the day’…

Today in West Des Moines, Iowa, I experienced the same ‘level’ of customer service I’ve gotten when I’ve been to their NYC store (on Fifth Avenue duhh) and their store in LA on Wilshire Boulevard in Beverly Hills. In the retail industry, I know for a fact other department stores try and mimic the level of customer service that Saks Fifth Avenue has been known for now over 150 years. When you’ve existed for that long of a time frame, there’s a reason why, and it’s beyond just carrying posh designer products. It’s all about the experience. This is why I take my ‘business’ to Saks.

Beyond the lengthy story here, I have to share my top five hand bag deals I saw going on right now (and this weekend) at Saks. It’s called their DESIGNER SALE, where you can get up to 50% off women’s apparel and 40% OFF accessories. Please note there are literally TONS of great brands and options on sale beyond the handbags I’ve listed below, so be sure to check out all of their designer deals, and know that a lot of these items will probably be sold out by Sunday. You can click on the image to be taken to the website for more details. Happy shopping this weekend!

Givenchy Leather & Canvas Stripe Antigona Bag
WAS $2450, NOW $1715

My bag, baby! If you live in Des Moines don’t copy me 😂 LOL, but anywhere else have at it. There are also two other options available at this price in black & red as well as black & leopard.

Chloé Medium Marcie Leather Satchel
WAS $2130, NOW $1491

An iconic style in a neutral brown color that goes with everything. I guarantee this won’t be available for long, so sorry if you click on it and it says it’s sold out.

Burberry Medium Belt Detail Leather Tote Bag
WAS $2,290, NOW $1,374

These belt bags by Burberry are getting more and more recognizable and a great deviation from their check style. At 40% OFF this is the steepest deal you can get in the sale.

Marc Jacobs Hip Shot Belt Bag
WAS $350, NOW $245

Whether you want to accept it or not, BELT BAGS (fanny packs cough cough) are a thing. Marc Jacobs has been doing some heavy promotion on their Instagram for their camera and belt bag styles (I totally fell prey and got one😬). If you’re wanting to accept the reality of 2019, get yourself an instagrammable fanny pack. They’re actually quite convenient #freehands…

Marc Jacobs Coated Leather Backpack
WAS $395, NOW $276.50

For those of you who can’t accept the fanny pack but are willing to do a backpack, you’ll still have free hands. Until, of course, you need to get something out of your backpack. 😉