When Target recently put Vineyard Vines merchandise on sale, it sold out in no time. The same thing is happening at TJ Maxx and other chains, any time they put a hot line, like Coach handbags, on sale.
So who is beating you to the sale? It turns out the people snapping it all up may actually be shopping remotely, from China.
It's one of the hottest new retail trends, from an app called "Shop Shops." which features live streaming of sales in a TJ Maxx or Target store or boutique.
So why haven't you heard of it? Because the shoppers watching the sale are not in America, and you would only notice if you keep finding empty shelves in your favorite store.
A host (similar to a QVC anchorwoman) shows the items in a livestream from the store on her phone, and shoppers on the other side of the world place orders with her.
She then brings hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars of merchandise to the checkout lane, where she purchases it and then ships it out to the buyers.
The Wall Street Journal recently reported on this Chinese shopping app, where thousands of people 12 time zones away are making offers, on clothing, makeup, and jewelry bargains in American stores, especially in New York and New Jersey, but also in other states.
Store shelves cleared quickly
Which leads to the "doesn't that stink" file: how the arrival of ShopShops could mean fewer sale goods for you.
If that jewelry, those purses, or those wine glasses with cute mommy words on them are gone in an hour, you may say "doesn't that stink?"
And in some cases, the entire store's supply can be gone by the time you get there.
Bottom line: If you hear about a hot sale on a designer line....act fast.
That's because you may not be just competing with local moms, but with thousands of shoppers in China.
As always, don't waste your money.
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