Bruegger's

BOSTON HERALD: ‘Bottomless’ deals appeal to cost-conscious consumers

Buy now, save all year by Carley Thornell

 The buy-in-bulk concept is spreading beyond big-box stores such as Costco to neighborhood businesses offering discount haircuts, car washes and java through one-fee-for-unlimited-service programs.

“It’s a win-win situation for both the client and the business,” Judy Fogarty, general manager of the Barbershop Lounge, said of the Newbury Street groomer’s membership programs.

“It helps a small business secure the loyalty of a client, who gets to save in an industry where typically dollars are never saved. When’s the last time your salon called you and said, ‘Sale on haircuts next week?’ ”


The Lounge offers four membership levels starting at $495, and each includes unlimited haircuts for a year. Though that may sound steep, it’s basically the same concept as buying in bulk, said Fogarty. Depending upon frequency of use, clients can save 20 to 30 percent.

“We’ve sold a ton to our existing clients. They’re like, ‘Why not, I come in anyway, I’m saving money,’ ” said Fogarty. “We all know it’s really important to look your best, especially in today’s times when we all have to be on top of our games.”

That haircut may strike some as a guilty pleasure and others as an utter necessity, but it’s indisputably a bargain.

The same principle goes for cars at the four Greater Boston Randy’s Car Wash locations, where annual memberships for unlimited washes are $325. Though Randy’s owner Tom Rando says some people consider frequent washes a luxury and membership contracts can be seen as confining, he has a number of frequent customers for whom gleaming wheels are a priority.

The annual pass “is something for someone who knows they’re going to be in here a lot. We have a lot of regulars who wash their cars two, three times a week depending on how much they travel and the weather,” Rando said.

Bruegger’s locations are seeing rising ranks of regular Joes grabbing their cup o’ joe thanks to the Bottomless Mug Club. The annual membership is about $140 and includes all-you-can-drink coffee, tea and soft drinks, beverages that average $2 a pop.

“In this economy, it’s tough to lay out that money upfront, but on the other hand if you make the purchase now, you’re locking in our price,” said spokeswoman Paula Doyle.

The memberships are sold October through early January. “If you buy a coffee on most weekdays, your purchase is usually paid for by April and then you’re basically drinking for free after that,” she said.

Like Fogarty, Doyle said the benefits for the company are two-fold: Mug Club members get discounts on and are more likely to buy foodstuffs, and repeat customers also help foster a sense of community.

“One of the things that people really like about Bruegger’s is the whole sense of neighborhood and familiarity,” Doyle said. “It’s just very friendly and casual. When you go in for your morning coffee, they’re going to get to know your order.”

Spokesman Randy Hargrove said Blockbuster was in a unique position when it focused on competing with mail-delivery rentals, because his customers can also frequent their neighborhood stores. The Total Access program starts at $11.99 a month and includes unlimited mail rentals (which can be returned by mail or in-store) and in-store exchanges of mailed DVDs.

“I think that people are watching their budgets, and if you’re looking at the option of going to a movie or renting something that you haven’t seen, certainly we’ve got an excellent value,” Hargrove said. “For four or five dollars you can go into a store and rent something for your whole family or, on a monthly basis, know how much you’re spending on entertainment ahead of time.”

Which makes that 99-cent checkout-line snack a little less of a guilty pleasure.