door buster

n. a discounted item of limited quantity intended to bring customers into a store; a sale of such items; a loss-leader. Also attrib. Subjects: English, Advertising, Business, Retail

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Citations: 1935 Hammond Times (Indiana) (Aug. 14) p. 9: This is the final cleanup of $4, $5 and $6 dresses, including many dark shades for fall wear. A real door buster. We warn you, come at 9:30! 1958 Syracuse Herald Journal (N.Y. ) (Apr. 18) p. 13: Door Buster. Sale! Bamboo cafe curtains! 88¢ pr. 1986 PR Newswire (Sept. 2) “Chrysler’s 2.4% Loan Program A ‘Real Blockbuster’” (in Detroit, Mich.): Chrysler Motors’ 2.4 annual percentage rate financing is a REAL blockbuster. And it’s a door buster, too, according to reports from Chrysler/ Plymouth and Dodge dealers nationwide. “We almost couldn’t handle the traffic,” said one dealer from Houston. “We had the highest traffic counts in months.” 1992 [mjohnson@zeus.calpoly.edu (Mark S. Johnson)] Usenet: rec.scuba (Dec. 11) “Re: Need Tanks”: A shop here in SLO had some for $250 new, but I think that was some sort of “door buster” special. 2004 Lauren Foster @ New York City Financial Times (U.K.) (Nov. 27) “Stores open doors to bargain hunters”: Retailers such as Wal-Mart and Sears, Roebuck opened at 6am yesterday to promote their “early bird” specials, also known as “door-buster” sales.

Posted 30 Nov 04 | Permalink | Tell a Friend