American Girl In-Store Discount 30% Off Grace Collection Through Christmas Eve, and Some Extra Thoughts from Us

In an un-surprising turn of events...

Once the 20% off discount of GIFT20 was done, American Girl wasted practically no time in announcing a 30% all Grace collection merchandise deal -- for in-store purchases only, through Christmas Eve, 2015.

Yes.

This is really happening.

We received notice of this yesterday at 2 pm in our email, so we really recommend getting to the store ASAP if you want to take advantage of this deal.

I wouldn't wait until Friday or the weekend, go tomorrow.

I have a feeling stock on all Grace items will now plummet in the stores -- especially because of re-sellers who have the capital to invest in the items quickly.

Not to pat ourselves on the back...

But to pat ourselves on the back...

This 30% discount really drives home the point we made in this previous post:

http://thedollwardrobe.blogspot.com/2015/12/honest-editorial-our-opinions-on-grace.html

We shall quote-eth ourselves:

"But given the amount of flailing American Girl was doing with sales and deals on her collection items, I don't think the rest of her collection has been selling as well as they thought it would."

...

"Our primary opinion on Grace's collection 

is that the items are just way-way too expensive.

And not just expensive -- but over-priced.

Like not worth the cost they are asking us to pay.

So we haven't been paying it - and apparently you haven't been paying it either (???) because they have put up a lot of things on discount.

We've never really seen this many deals before for any GOTY 

merchandise during her year."

And we've certainly never seen a last-ditch Hail Mary move like 30% off her whole collection during the last week before Christmas.

I realize this is for in-store only, but given the amount of stores they've opened and pop-ups they have popped-up in malls all over the place this year -- this is going to result in A LOT of sales.

Like, whoa.

Like, whoa.

Clearly they want to clear out that stock, asap.

And I think that is because Lea needs to take her place, in the stores, on the shelves, in the warehouses.

Lea has some big, big items coming up (Rainforest Tree House anyone?).

So she'll need the space.

And American Girl wants to be ready with that merchandise 

ASAP for January 1st.

That makes complete sense.

But, like, whoa.

I understand Lea is coming, muscling out poor Grace 

like a bully in the line for brownies in the school cafeteria.

But this just makes me feel bad for Grace.

Did they over-order on the doll?

Did they think she was going to be way more popular 

than she ended up being?

Clearly the doll hasn't sold out yet --- which is really surprising.

So I am guessing -- and this is just an educated guess -- that most of us who wanted Grace (as I have said before) already had her by the middle of the year.

And instead of buying the Grace stock in the 2nd half of 2015, a lot, I mean A LOT of people got Maryellen instead.

Which means the Maryellen marketing did well, but maybe she cut into Grace sales a lot more than they thought she would?

This is the problem with releasing both a BeForever and a GOTY -- they will naturally compete with each other. Kinda unavoidable.

From what I've heard on the streets, the next BeForever 

is coming out at the same time as Lea.

(That is a rumor -- but it would mean that American Girl will really, REALLY 

need the store, shelf, and warehouse space this January.)

This may have an impact on the BeForever sales -- 

but at least the GOTY will have a whole year of competing 

against the new BeForever -- 

instead of Maryellen just tapping in 

on the end of year sales like this year.

This should allow American Girl to be more accurate 

as far as how many Lea dolls to order going through 2016.

Maybe.

Maybe?

I just feel bad for any un-sold Grace dolls.

She doesn't really deserve to be at 30% off.

Poor girl. :'-(

Yes, I am happy more people can get her now -- 

but like I said, most of the sales will come from re-sellers 

who can quickly go in and buy, buy, buy -- not people who have to save up dough, 

or wait for paychecks.

Not people with a household budget.

Not people with a holiday shopping budget.

This, in my opinion, is really a discount made for re-sellers.

What I hear American Girl saying is:

"Hey! Hey! Re-sellers!

 

Please buy up all this discounted stock 

and take it off our hands!!!"

American Girl, you should have just made 

her and her collection more affordable from the start.