For Sale vs. On Sale

Photo by Kindel Media from Pexels

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Today’s post is going to be a short one, directed at those of you in sales and marketing, whether that’s for your own small business or for a large corporation. (It also allows me to rationalize voicing one of my pet peeves.)
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It’s becoming more and more common to see these two phrases being used interchangeably. However, they’re not the same, and an informal poll among editors from all over the world confirms it.
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For Sale

​Saying that something is for sale means that it’s available for purchase. There are no implications about price or changes to the price.
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On Sale

​If something is on sale, it means that the price has been lowered, either as a way to move merchandise faster or as part of a promotional event.

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​It may not seem like a big deal at first glance, but a little precision in your wording here can mean a great deal to those of your customers who might get confused or be disappointed.

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​Rebecca Miller is a professional copyeditor and general fan of all things having to do with the written word and the English language.
You can check out her website at Oakdale Editing or connect through Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, or Email.