When Susan Cook and Patrick Riordan walked into the Payless shoe store, their mission was simple: They were on the hunt for a reasonably priced pair of shoes for Susan. The store was going out of business, and its “Everything must go!” signs promised to deliver a deal. But a couple of hours later the couple left the New Jersey mall with the store’s entire stock.
… It all started when Cook and Riordan noticed a clerk at the front of the store marking down shoe prices from $3 to $2 per pair. The store wasn’t going to close until most of its shoes were sold. Even the manager said the staff was ready to shut it down and move on with their lives. So Cook and Riordan said, “What if we buy everything here? What if we shut this down now?”
… Over the next two hours, the New Egypt, N.J., couple said they couldn’t help smiling as they watched the Payless clerk ring up shoes. The couple is donating the shoes to a shelter.
… You might remember that earlier this year I told you about 25-year-old Addy Tritt paid a visit to her local Payless in Hays, Kansas, and left with 204 pairs of shoes, which she sent to Nebraska, where recent epic flooding has destroyed millions of dollars in crops, injured and killed several people, damaged homes and deeply impacted farmers.