Tuxedo Monopoly
This weekend my fiancee and I went to look at tuxedos for our wedding. Some of our friends had told us about how they had gone to Men’s Wearhouse for their tuxedos and received a great deal of around $60 per tux. So this weekend we decided to go looking. We went to a store called MW Tux, which my fiancee assumed was where they went. Sure enough the store was owned by Men’s Wearhouse apparently having been taken over a few months ago. Nowhere was the $60 deal to be found. The lowest price in their catalog was $106.99. The saleswoman showed us some tuxedos and my fiancee picked out one that she liked. We asked about the price: $130 and change. I asked if there is anyway to cut that price down. Then she throws out the pitch that my tux will be free because we have 6 groomsmen. I counter that, I will personally be paying for all the tuxes so I’d like to cut the price down. (Side note: At the $60 price that I expected, I was planning to pay for all the tuxes in place of a groomsman gift.) She then offers the $106.99 tux and states that this is the least expensive they have.
So I went outside and called my friend. He said that they had actually gone a regular Men’s Wearhouse store after hearing about the deal at some kind of bridal event next door at Long’s Jewelers. We went to the same store as our friends and asked for the prices, sure enough they were the same as MW Tux. We asked the salesman about the special our friends had received. He said it must have been a show special but that all the shows were done for the year. Ugh. Since I have 6 groomsmen, the nearly $50 difference in price adds up quite quickly. I decided to head home to research this situation. The salespeople clearly had an informational advantage over me that I needed to resolve.
Here’s what I’ve found. Apparently Men’s Wearhouse, Mr Tux, and After Hours Formal Wear have all gotten together and created a huge national monopoly in the tuxedo market. All of these places are now working for George Zimmer… I also found several mentions of the promo prices from various shows in a quick google search. I also found on the Men’s Wearhouse site itself that there will be a show upcoming in my area. I wanted to just sit tight until the show since our wedding is still 4 months away but the fiancee was less patient. She wanted to go back and negotiate. Even though these places seem to operate like used car lots in terms of salesmanship, I don’t think they have much room for negotiation on price. The promos come down from corporate management. So we went back to MW Tux and they explained that we could go ahead and order today and that if the show price was lower they could cancel the order and reenter a new order. We’ll see how well this works…
It’s clear that even the tuxedo industry is preying off the typical wedding sentiment that price is no object. They seem to be counting on the fact that people will not shop around, that they will not do research. And, since somebody else is paying, that couples will not be price conscious.
You don’t mention that there is a $20.00 discount available if you enroll in the rewards program available to the Men’s Wearhouse or MW Tux customer. The basic tuxedo with coat, pant, shirt, jewelry, bow tie and cummerbund with the rewards program discount is about $65.00 plus tax. If you add the vest and shoes, the price is about $95.00 plus tax. The highest price tuxedo with the rewards program discount is about $145.00 plus tax, and that includes the vest and shoes. If you keep it classic with the bow tie and cummerbund, the newest, lightest weight tuxedo with shoes rents for about $130.00 plus tax. If your groomsmen have their own dressy shoes, the light weight tux with bow tie and cummerbund rents for $115.00 plus tax. If you plan on paying for the tuxes, after they are picked up, your rewards program earns you $50.00 loyalty certificate. If you pay for the purchase with the store’s credit card, you would save another 5%. In January, the highest priced tuxedo, with the rewards program actually was priced $5.00 lower than in 2007. The lowest price tuxedo with bow tie and cummerbund (with shoes) went up in price by $5.00. If your friends were married between 2000 and 2007, the bridal show prices would have ranged from $55.00 to $130.00 plus tax. Overall, it is likely that the stores purchased by Men’s Wearhouse in 2007 have lower prices now than in the past, and Men’s Wearhouse prices are slightly higher.
Another way to accesorize a tuxedo is to do the basic tux and purchase a great looking tie for everyone in your wedding party.
Correction: the $50.00 loyalty certificate is earned for every $500.00 in purchases when they are posted to your purchase file. Details at http://www.mwtux.com
Spike,
Again, it was very clear my salesperson was not very helpful when it came to prices. I also have to wonder if the prices are regional, your region may differ from mine. I need to read back over the receipts to see the itemized prices. My salesperson gave me the impression that $106.99 was the price including the $20 discount and was the most basic tux they carried. I definitely look into forgoing the shoes as I know at least one groomsman has them already.
Prices are not regional. Some styles are not available on the east coast and vice versa, but all price ranges are available to all. Also, there is no benefit to signing up at bridal shows unless you want to sign up for a drawing. Biggest advantage, you can get measured in Portland, ME and pick up your tuxedo in San Diego. You can also drop off at any location.