Popbacks @ GAP and J. Crew

This is a post about why it sometimes pays to stalk a website. Two retail sites that are notorious for "popbacks" -- the term used in the blogosphere when an item that has been out of stock suddenly "pops back" and is available for purchase -- are GAP and J. Crew. And that is how I obtained the two items I recently purchased.

Truth be told, I should have purchased the Anchor print V-neck shirt when I had it in my hands at a J. Crew Factory over a month ago. But I was having guilt over my order total and had the cashier put it aside. Two weeks later, when $20 wasn't such a big deal -- I headed back to that J. Crew Factory (and two others) to discover to my dismay the item was completely gone!


With J. Crew, patience pays off. I was able to get this shirt online during the recent free shipping promo. Here it is:

I was also determined to buy the GAP Ponte Knit Academy Blazer in the Vamp Red after first seeing it pictured on Gigis Gone Shopping. It is a burgundy color that is more or less sold out everywhere and also online. I was able to buy it on the website after repeatedly visiting Gap.com during all hours of the day for over a week. And sure enough, one day it was available in my size and with a promotion code. It was so worth the wait!