Brand emails featuring products that aren't for sale

[IEatChocolateForBreakfast]

This is really starting to annoy me. There has been quite a few instances recently where I have opened up an promo email from a clothing brand, seen the model wearing a nice dress or pair of shoes, only to click on the image and be taken to the category section (dresses, etc) and after scouring pages and pages of styles the particular one I was interested in and clicked on is no where to be found.

Why do companies do this?? Is it click bait? Disorganisation between marketing and product teams? It really is so annoying. Has anyone else noticed this recently?

Yes! Saw a lovely top on a Roman ad - nowhere to be found on their website and also Matalan last year, nice jumpsuit in an email, again couldnt find it. So annoying

Yes it happened with me re Phase 8. The model was wearing a lovely dress under a cardigan being advertised but I couldn't find the lovely dress on the website

What annoys me is that whoever photographs M&S clothes for their advertisements and for their in store extra large posters, can never get the colour right.
The colour of the clothes on the model in the poster is always much nicer than in reality
It's not rocket science M&S.?

This drives me barmy. Magazines were always terrible for doing the same thing. They’d show a piece of clothing or some shoes, then you’d go into e.g. Jigsaw and the staff would say, ooh, I haven’t seen anything like that. In this month’s Elle, you say? No, no idea when it’s coming in, or if it will ever come in.

Usually it was because the pictures were shown two months before the item got into the shops. Why bother?

Or they would show a garment, then when you contacted the brand (where magazines would list the stockists, before we all defaulted to the internet) you’d find that the thing you wanted was only stocked in one shop in Dundee or Carlisle or something.

Don't get me started on the constant adverts for Gap - they never have anything in stock!

Ooh, oasis got me with this recently, numerous photos of models in dresses with the same white boots, (not the same models as well, so not "models own" nonsense), but no white boots for sale on their site. They sell boots, seems a terrible marketing failure to not chose a pair from their own range for the photo.

@MargosKaftan

Ooh, oasis got me with this recently, numerous photos of models in dresses with the same white boots, (not the same models as well, so not "models own" nonsense), but no white boots for sale on their site. They sell boots, seems a terrible marketing failure to not chose a pair from their own range for the photo.

YES!!! Oasis is a constant culprit!! I remember back at Christmas they had some really nice black chunky Platform sandals they featured on all the models for their party wear - I scoured their website for weeks hoping they'd come up for sale but nope. Same thing with them at Christmas for a nice party dress. It was in their emails but I never did see it come up on the website. Oddly enough it's there now and on clearance

Wayfair do this constantly. Last year I had so many emails showing a gorgeous dinner service. Nowhere to be seen on the website. Various other things too but that set of plates was on every bloody email.

I don't even bother to open their emails now, there's no point.

Just today I saw an ad on Instragram for Uniqlo featuring a vest top I liked the look of. When I clicked on the link, the vest was available, but not in the colour featured in the ad. I commented to say so, but have not received any reply. It's so annoying.

This happened to me with M&S thermal - the model on the photo and the pack wearing black top, actual top white and no black there or online. So annoying.

Yes usually on FB adverts for a clothing company. Click on something I like the look of and either it's completely sold out or takes me to a generic page, not the item.

Reminds me of a story told by a woman at our church who was always beautifully dressed. She was secretary to chief of a company that sold fabric’s wholesale or would design clothes. Once a retailer came and asked for the same cloth as her skirt. It was from a different manufacturer, but after that she a clothes allowance and everything she wore was available to buy.

It can’t be that hard that everything visible in a photo shoot is available from that store unless it really is a different department (the clothing for shoe shop advert or linen for place just selling furniture.) Even if you get there and it’s sold out.

It does seem a regular with Oasis and the footwear put on the models not being from their ranges. I did wonder if they are from another brand owned by the same parent company, so knocking about in head office to be grabbed by the stylist for the photo shoot. Does seem a failure not to be able to do "buy the look" links to the accessories/other clothes in the photo.

Another thing I dislike on the JL website when they say selected lines reduced and the item you want appears to have a reduction in some colours but they are all still full price

M&S is notorious for doing this. Selling a jacket and the top that is worn under the jacket is not from this season or not on their site at all.
I mean if you sell the clothes, sell all of the clothes in the photo. And the shoes. Don't use last seasons shoes to sell something this season. Better yet, don't use garment/shoes that are not currently available in all sizes on line in your photos.

I've been tempted too many times only to be disappointed when I go to browse their website.

The White Company today - I got an email with a photo of a dipping bowl with beautiful pale blue napkins beside it.
I thought I'd treat myself and the family.
I continued to the website but said napkins aren't available. I entered in the search bar on the The White Company website "blue napkins". They're not available. 🙄🙄🙄