Oh Shift! Thoughts on the Lilly Pulitzer online sale

Yes, I am overdue for posting on here....work/life has been crazy as of late to say the least.  Soon though, I promise!

Pic via Facebook

My experience with yesterday's Lilly Pulitzer annual online summer sale has left me with thoughts and comments I need to share.  You know, with someone other than MVP who could really care less about a bunch of crazed ladies hitting refresh on their browser for 6+ hours yesterday.

As many of you know, I LOVE a good bargain.  Like, I get an incredible high from finding something I love at a crazy-low price.  I have often felt I would easily medal if bargain shopping (specifically online) somehow became an Olympic sport.  Just this past Sunday night, I amazed MVP with my skills -- he was interested in a pair of shoes, I offered a few online shopping suggestions and bing-bam-BOOM, he was able to get the exact pair he wanted for about $35 less than retail.  AND free shipping.  You're welcome, MVP.

So it is TOTALLY in my nature to look forward to something like the Lilly P sale.  I set aside a little shopping fund in advance of the sale so I can take advantage of as many bargains as my little pink and green heart desires. I make sure I am online in time for the 8am start.  And I also try to take everything with a heaping spoonful of reality. 

EVERY YEAR there are website issues.  Anyone who has shopped the sale before should already know that and keep the complaining to a minimum.  I will admit that yesterday's first day of the sale took things to a new low, as I heard that there were some possible security breaches on the site; shoppers logged into their online account (where they have saved billing/shipping info, payment info, etc.) before shopping the sale, only to see (well, those who were fortunate enough to notice) that even though they had entered their correct log in info, they were shopping under someone else's account.
[Side note, to my knowledge, Lilly Pulitzer has not publicly discussed or acknowledged the alleged privacy scare]

There were also issues with shoppers assuming that their transaction was completed successfully because they received a confirmation email AND their card was charged.  Only to find out later the order was not able to be placed BUT their card was charged, and they would have to wait 1-3 days to have the funds credited back to them.

However, what struck me the MOST yesterday, were some of the careless and cruel comments I read on Facebook, Twitter and so on.  Some of the comments I empathized with -- the inability to view what was in your virtual shopping tote, the frustration with the lack of real time inventory update, etc.

But the comments I had issue with....well they are still gnawing at me this morning.

First and foremost, it's an online sale.  These are brightly colored shift dresses and patterned shorts we are talking about here, not bread for your starving family.  Let's try to keep a healthy perspective on things.  Your life does not begin and end with your ability to score as much discounted Lilly as humanly possible.  Well, at least I don't think so.  If YOU do.....gosh, I kind of feel bad for you.

But that....well that was not the worst of it.  What made me cringe last night -- literally made me sick to my stomach -- were those women who voiced OUTRAGE at the sale being ruined by people who were not considered to be "loyal" Lilly shoppers.  As in, folks who are not regularly paying $200+ for a shift dress but flock to the online sale in the hopes of scoring some of those same fashions for under $100.  These women spewed hate, shame and vitriol towards others...basing their "worthiness" to shop an open-to-anyone-online-freaking-sale on their ability to afford the sale wares if they were listed at full price.

Pic via Facebook

Hell, even if you can afford full price Lilly, some people may not see VALUE in purchasing these same garments and accessories at full price, myself included in that group. 

While I had many problems and issues with the 2013 annual sale, it was this last issue that left the sourest of tastes in my mouth.  It has me not just questioning this sale, but the consumer definition of this brand in general.  Frankly, I would be hesitant to even wear any of my LillyP right now, because I would NEVER want to be associated to all the self-righteous and self-entitled shoppers yesterday who claimed they DESERVED more/better/preferred access to the discounted offerings as a reward for being "loyal" customers outside of this annual sale.  I'm not gonna go so far as to say wearing a Murfee scarf is the same as wearing a sandwich board saying "Proud to be part of the 1%"...but it's pretty damn close for me at this point. 

So for those women crazily hitting refresh and taking breaks to post on Facebook bitching griping about the unfairness of it all.....step away from your computer.
Take a deep cleansing breath.
Were you able to feed your family yesterday?
Is there a roof over your head? 
Do you have a paying job that allows you to make ends meet?
Are you fortunate enough to not have friends, family or loved ones currently serving in a war zone?
Are you fortunate enough to not have anyone you care about currently battling a life threatening illness?

If you answered YES to any of these questions, then take a moment of GRATITUDE for all that you do have before posting ANY more comments about the myriad of perceived injustices associated with the Lilly Pulitzer online sale.

I'm going to practice what I preach and if anyone cares to join me, please do.  Since I did not make any purchases during this year's online sale, I'm going to take some of that money that I had dogeared for the Lilly Sale and donate it to a worthy cause.  They are people out there that need the support of charitable organizations MUCH more than I need a discounted shift dress.