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Meri Brown and her Wet Bar of Tears


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23 hours ago, riverblue22 said:

So a couple of weeks ago I decided I'd like to check out Meri in action so I asked to join her group.  I was approved the next day, but today was the first day I caught a live sale.  Today she actually had some cute dresses she was showing but I found it boring after a few minutes.

She does seem to be making a lot of money on this.  Maddie puts up photos and most of them sell.  She does seem to have an over-abundance of the smallest sizes and I see some of those passed by.  The larger sizes seem to go quickly.

I'd say Meri is doing far better with this than any of their other rackets.  I suppose at some point it will die a quick death and she will be left with racks of "Amelias" or "Sarahs" or whatever.  Hope she saves her money.

 

10 hours ago, AZChristian said:

Profit starts when you have made back all you spent to start up a business.  So I'd guess that - so far - she's still in negative numbers.

I read a stat that that Average LuLaRoe profit per item is $15. LLR charge their consultants $5K for their initial inventory and startup package. So Meri would need to sell about 330 items to break even on her initial investment. Consultants are required to buy a minimum of new inventory every month - I think $300 worth. Getting out of the red seems like it's very hard with LLR. 

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After seeing that picture of Meri's house chock full o' polyester crap, she won't be breaking even for a long, long time. Add in the clothes she keeps for herself and she will be the next wife to file for bankruptcy. I mean, ex-wife.

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If Meri isn't making a profit with the LulaRoe clothing, then no one can.  I don't say that because of her business or sales skills, of course, but thanks to the television show, she probably has the biggest potential buying crowd of any of the sales reps.  There are people who will buy from her just because she's "famous" and on television.  Too bad there isn't a way to find out for certain if she's making a profit.  

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(edited)
9 hours ago, MonicaM said:

If Meri isn't making a profit with the LulaRoe clothing, then no one can.  I don't say that because of her business or sales skills, of course, but thanks to the television show, she probably has the biggest potential buying crowd of any of the sales reps.  There are people who will buy from her just because she's "famous" and on television.  Too bad there isn't a way to find out for certain if she's making a profit.  

The Browns spoke about their TV viewing audience as potential My SisterWife's Closet cudstomers when they were pitching to their investor friend. One of the investors questioned why they weren't able to translate those viewers into website traffic or actual buying customers. If I remember correctly, they had no answer. 

I watch the show but have no interest in buying LLR leggings because of cost/style/quality. I also don't particularly like Meri so I don't have an urge to support her in that way out of goodwill either. I would have to guess that a lot of her Facebook group are "rubberneckers" who want an insider look at a D-list celebrity with no actual interest in buying.

Given what I've read about LLR, their cost structure, and the Brown's busines history, I doubt Meri is making a profit.  

Edited by mamey2422
Grammar
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21 hours ago, Absolom said:

That's LulaRoe's pitch for profit per item.  What the consultants can actually sell the items for is frequently not the LulaRoe pitch price. 

The contract from LLR requires consultants to all sell at the same price.  They're not allowed to mark down to clear out unsold merchandise (at least not officially, based on what I've seen on eBay and Poshmark there's a lot of discounting happening under the radar). 

Shoot me now, but I've watched tons of LLR videos on YT (there are at least a dozen new ones each day) and the frequent recommendation to consultants (most of whom have no business experience whatsoever) is to roll ALL of the profits (if any) back into new inventory until they reach a magic number of 1,000 items.  Of course a certain percentage of that inventory is going to include stuff that no one will touch with a ten foot pole...

Meri gets new shipments all the time - she said a couple of days ago that Maddie was unpacking 3 boxes that just came in.

22 hours ago, mamey2422 said:

 

I read a stat that that Average LuLaRoe profit per item is $15. LLR charge their consultants $5K for their initial inventory and startup package. So Meri would need to sell about 330 items to break even on her initial investment. Consultants are required to buy a minimum of new inventory every month - I think $300 worth. Getting out of the red seems like it's very hard with LLR. 

actually it's not dollar amount, but pieces of inventory.  The minimum is 33 pieces per month, unless you have a downline with potential to get commissions, in which case the sponsor needs to buy a minimum of 175 pieces per month.

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32 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

The contract from LLR requires consultants to all sell at the same price.  They're not allowed to mark down to clear out unsold merchandise (at least not officially, based on what I've seen on eBay and Poshmark there's a lot of discounting happening under the radar). 

I fear the consultants are not doing that since they are unloading the unsold pieces at whatever they can get at our local swap meet.  Just as you said ebay and Poshmark aren't at the full price either.  I think it's possible only the popular pieces get sold at the list price.  I've seen many leggings for sale for two pairs for the full price of one pair. 

 

35 minutes ago, DakotaJustice said:

Shoot me now, but I've watched tons of LLR videos on YT (there are at least a dozen new ones each day) and the frequent recommendation to consultants (most of whom have no business experience whatsoever) is to roll ALL of the profits (if any) back into new inventory until they reach a magic number of 1,000 items.  Of course a certain percentage of that inventory is going to include stuff that no one will touch with a ten foot pole...

LLR's business model does well for LLR but not so well for the consultants.  They seem to want to load the consultants with inventory before they figure out how much work it's going to take to break even.  I wonder what percentage of the shipments won't move and if they try to make sure the items that are difficult to move are evenly distributed across all shipments.  I expect it's much more random and some shipments are pretty easy to move and others are very difficult.

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If anyone really loves this "fashion", I apologize for offending, but everything I've seen is butt-ugly and I could find better at a store, or my personal favorite, a thrift store! The stuff is just hideous.

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1 hour ago, llewis823 said:

If anyone really loves this "fashion", I apologize for offending, but everything I've seen is butt-ugly and I could find better at a store, or my personal favorite, a thrift store! The stuff is just hideous.

Some of the designs are downright scary.  I feel like there are subliminal messages in some of those prints.  Either that or Stephen King is their fabric consultant.

Edited by laurakaye
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3 hours ago, laurakaye said:

Some of the designs are downright scary.  I feel like there are subliminal messages in some of those prints.  Either that or Stephen King is their fabric consultant.

Yes!  When I saw that chihuahua print, and the prices that sellers were asking on eBay, I was astounded!  Those prints would make a small butt look big.

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On 3/3/2017 at 5:10 PM, DakotaJustice said:

The contract from LLR requires consultants to all sell at the same price.  They're not allowed to mark down to clear out unsold merchandise (at least not officially, based on what I've seen on eBay and Poshmark there's a lot of discounting happening under the radar). 

 

They can mark down - they just aren't allowed to publicly post what their sale prices are.  You have to message them - which is kind of annoying. but have no fear there are some consultants that UP-charge certain items!  That's the most ridiculous.  Or maybe it's more ridiculous that people actually pay the higher prices. 

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My LLR radar must have been on this weekend. Never been to a sale or bought anything, but thanks to this site I can spot it a mile away. Example 1, saw somebody I hadn't seen recently and thought she looked great. She was wearing slim cut dark jeans. Saw her the next day with LLR leggings on...woah! Apparently she has not lost weight. Huge difference. Also spotted a lady in a full ensemble with a huge fugly burnt sienna colored top and leggings. Then a woman in a polyester type top that looked like something from the Walmart baby section 20 years ago. Ugh. Point being....people are actually buying this stuff!  Meri has to be selling stuff, but it will never last and she will be stuck with a ton of inventory. 

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3 hours ago, gunderda said:

They can mark down - they just aren't allowed to publicly post what their sale prices are.  You have to message them - which is kind of annoying. but have no fear there are some consultants that UP-charge certain items!  That's the most ridiculous.  Or maybe it's more ridiculous that people actually pay the higher prices. 

I saw that last night - what a pita. 

Okay I'm obsessed - watching the YT videos. Most of the vids are all sweetness and positivity. I'm amazed at how many husbands are involved. Go on Periscope and watch the guys sell, it's hilariously awesome! 

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1 hour ago, HooHooHoo said:

My LLR radar must have been on this weekend. Never been to a sale or bought anything, but thanks to this site I can spot it a mile away. Example 1, saw somebody I hadn't seen recently and thought she looked great. She was wearing slim cut dark jeans. Saw her the next day with LLR leggings on...woah! Apparently she has not lost weight. Huge difference. Also spotted a lady in a full ensemble with a huge fugly burnt sienna colored top and leggings. Then a woman in a polyester type top that looked like something from the Walmart baby section 20 years ago. Ugh. Point being....people are actually buying this stuff!  Meri has to be selling stuff, but it will never last and she will be stuck with a ton of inventory. 

Pretty much my opinion. There's a video on YouTube by this fitness chick where she's swearing off the leggings because wearing them made her complacent to the point she couldn't fit in her jeans anymore. 

Vanity sizing. I hate it.  

What's more you can get butter soft (ugh that phrase!) Leggings at Walmart in different colors/patterns  but a regular elastic waistband, for $5.88. 

I have noticed a lot of leggings wearers lately but I don't know if they're actually LLR. Lots of brands out there just at the mall.

I'd freeze my butt off personally.

Edited by DakotaJustice
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4 hours ago, CofCinci said:

Maybe avoid the "small".

156654408654960875008782474461369823171n

Unless you want a full moon holiday.

That is exactly what happened to my friend's LLR's. But she didn't realize it until she was at work and and a co- worker pointed out "I see France." She didn't leave her cubby the rest of the day. 

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This is another lesson that leggings are not pants, but only to be worn under long tops such as very long tunics or short dresses.  They far too often split or stretch way too thin.  Apparently LLR makes that a quite likely event.  I'm sorry about your friend's experience though.  They shouldn't almost disintegrate.

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20 hours ago, xwordfanatik said:

Yes!  When I saw that chihuahua print, and the prices that sellers were asking on eBay, I was astounded!  Those prints would make a small butt look big.

I had a moment of horror.  My cousin WANTS the chihuahua print leggings.  Bless her heart.  She is normally somewhat sane (as much as we all are!) and has decent taste so I am not sure what happened.  If she didn't live so far away I might have arranged for an intervention.

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8 hours ago, Natalie68 said:

 Bless her heart. 

Hi! I'm from the South, too. And I know what you meant when you said that. <tee hee>.

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I'm not one to judge any woman for her wardrobe. Those "No woman over 40 should ever wear..." clickbait titles make me itch to slap someone. But...I am convinced the wear-leggings-everywhere thing is a fashion trend that people will look back on in several years sort of like we now look back on the huge shoulder pads and "Hammer pants" of the '80s: OMG, what were we thinking??!?

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17 minutes ago, SometimesBites said:

I am convinced the wear-leggings-everywhere thing is a fashion trend that people will look back on in several years sort of like we now look back on the huge shoulder pads and "Hammer pants" of the '80s: OMG, what were we thinking??!?

Lord, yes.  Perhaps if they were worn with a correct top, maybe not so bad.  But they are not pants, girls!  Few bodies should show that much info!

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On 3/6/2017 at 1:43 PM, laurakaye said:

Some of the designs are downright scary.  I feel like there are subliminal messages in some of those prints.  Either that or Stephen King is their fabric consultant.

You've seen the killer clown print I see.

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2 minutes ago, Absolom said:

That's just crazy that people would pay that much for fairly ugly leggings. 

Wow, you are generous. Hideous is more like it.  Proves that there is a sucker born each minute.  The same type of people that went nuts buying Beanie Babies as "collectibles" and are stuck with bins of those things that are worth 50 cents.

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27 minutes ago, Absolom said:

That's just crazy that people would pay that much for fairly ugly leggings. 

Eh, people go for ugly and/or weird things all the time.  Beanie babies, for instance.  It's a fad and after it crashes people will "wake up" and not understand why they paid so much for such things.  Scarcity is part of it: if things are rare, we value them more.  If things aren't going to be sold after a certain date, we have to buy them NOW, and people don't stop to think about if they really need them or if the items are worth what is being paid.  It's why Home Shopping Channels have limited numbers of things and put that timer on to show how much longer you have to buy.  It's why Disney animated movies get pulled off the shelves and rereleased every seven years instead of just letting them be on the shelves.  Pure psychology.

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On 3/9/2017 at 5:47 PM, CofCinci said:

My eyes are bugging out of my head.  I must be making the ooogah sound.  First off the prints and second the prices.  Most of those leggings should be in a clearance bin for $1.50.  This just proves, again, there is a sucker born every minute.  That and there are people with way too much time and money on there hands.

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My ex DIL came over to get the kids yesterday with wild print leggings.  I immediately pointed and said, Lularoe?  Yep.  They felt like pajamas.  They were very soft fleece.  How odd.  In her defense, it was a print with airplanes.  My son (her ex) is a commercial pilot, her new husband is a commercial pilot and she has a pilots licence (long expired but still).   So I get why she HAD to buy them!  She said they were cheap junk but couldn't resist. 

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30 minutes ago, Jellybeans said:

Wings, you are very sweet.  :-)  

I still don't understand women who wear airplane leggings.  LOL.

LMAO!  I hear they meet once a month at the Vegas airport.   

Edited by wings707
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On March 9, 2017 at 9:29 PM, Fosca said:

Eh, people go for ugly and/or weird things all the time.  Beanie babies, for instance.  It's a fad and after it crashes people will "wake up" and not understand why they paid so much for such things.  Scarcity is part of it: if things are rare, we value them more.  If things aren't going to be sold after a certain date, we have to buy them NOW, and people don't stop to think about if they really need them or if the items are worth what is being paid.  It's why Home Shopping Channels have limited numbers of things and put that timer on to show how much longer you have to buy.  It's why Disney animated movies get pulled off the shelves and rereleased every seven years instead of just letting them be on the shelves.  Pure psychology.

But Beanie Babies are cute and Disney movies are classic. These leggings are just plain fugly. Trends are trendy because they are appealing. Scarcity is not enough. I can't figure out what the appeal is here. More like "appalling". 

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People didn't buy Beanie Babies in large numbers (and pay huge prices for them) because they were cute; they usually bought them to complete a collection or because they were rare and thus valuable, only to lose tons of money when the fad faded.  Not all Disney movies are classic--some are objectively bad and yet Disney labels them "classic" as soon as they're out on DVD.  And for both, scarcity made/makes them more appealing--must buy NOW before I can't have them anymore!  Must have all of them!  Gotta catch them all!

I suspect the missing factor for these leggings is fashion.  Fashion to me is just inscrutable, and I see people dress in hideous (to me) clothes and hairstyles and makeup (WTF is with those eyebrows that look like the hair has been mascaraed straight up the forehead?) all the time.  I myself own a few "ugly" Hawaiian shirts that I found in Goodwill, probably for good reason, but which I like to wear to liven things up.  No accounting for taste, and when people convince themselves that because something is rare they MUST have it no matter the price, you get ugly cheap-ass leggings selling for tons of money.

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On 3/11/2017 at 0:55 PM, toodles said:

My eyes are bugging out of my head.  I must be making the ooogah sound.  First off the prints and second the prices.  Most of those leggings should be in a clearance bin for $1.50.  This just proves, again, there is a sucker born every minute.  That and there are people with way too much time and money on there hands.

That is insane.  I've gotten leggings at Costco for 20 bucks for wearing around the house.  Those look like pajama bottoms for kids.

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14 minutes ago, Kohola3 said:

Well. with the current penchant for wearing jammies in public....

So very true, I see both men and women wearing them to the grocery store, and I just cringe.  

Maybe with those Lularoe cardigans, Meri is trying to hide her big butt.  Those white-stitched jeans with the doodads on the pockets were awful on her too.  Not that the other three "wives" have any fashion sense, either.

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4 hours ago, DakotaJustice said:

They sold it, I believe it was a short sale, late last year.

 

6 hours ago, CofCinci said:

What's up with their old triplex? Do they still own it?

Yes, Kody tweeted about the sale at the time.  Someone looked it up online and saw that it was a short sale.  I'll bet Janelle was pleased with her inheritance money going towards such a solid investment (...yes...sarcasm...)

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On 3/12/2017 at 1:17 PM, SongbirdHollow said:

But Beanie Babies are cute and Disney movies are classic. These leggings are just plain fugly. Trends are trendy because they are appealing. Scarcity is not enough. I can't figure out what the appeal is here. More like "appalling". 

For people who collected Beanie Babies, etc., the "rare" ones were usually kept sealed somehow, the tags needed to remain intact and not played with in any way.

With "collectible" leggings, how does that work?  Do people buy them and not wear them?  Do they keep them encased in plastic and displayed on a shelf?  When people come over to visit, do they say, "and here is my delightful collection of Lularoe Leggings!  Look, I have the very rare "Satanic Chihuahua" print!  And rarer still, the "Stephen King's Worst Nightmare Clown" print!  And this one?  It's....well, I think it's the Seven Dwarfs riding in an airplane made of Cheetos...or something like that...but it's really super rare!  NO YOU CAN'T TRY THEM ON!!"

Edited by laurakaye
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