Tuesday, July 10, 2007

Bargains?


Yesterday's Daily Telegraph carried a letter from a reader in Kent, who noted that for some years the strawberries in supermarkets are labelled as half-price. She asks if anyone has ever seen full-price strawberries. I buy my strawberries from the local farm shop, so I haven't noticed this phenomenon; in the interests of consumerism I decided to carry out reconnaissance in all the supermarkets in the area. Sure enough in Tesco, Sainsburys, M&S, Morrisons and Summerway all pre-packed strawberries carried 'Half-price' stickers. All the stickers were professionally printed, not in-store reduction labels. Interesting? Suspicious? Are you fooled?

4 comments:

  1. Ah, the infamous permanent discount. It's a rather effective bit of consumer psychology. Mark the price up higher than you intend to sell it at, then discount it to the "real" selling price, and everyone is happy. The consumer gets the product she wants, plus the satisfaction of getting a deal.

    Have you ever noticed that there are some stores that have been going out of business for years? The permanent "going out of business" sale is another trick.

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  2. I must say I wouldn't have noticed this had it not been pointed out to me. I hate shopping and go armed with a list of what I need (except when I leave it on the kitchen table!), dash around the store and out as fast as I can.

    I note your use of 'she' as the gullible consumer and save it for future persecution.

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  3. Oh oh, you nailed me! My sexist bigotry is exposed for all to see!

    I ask the court to take my maleness and Amercanicity into consideration as mitigating factors.

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  4. Well, just this time but don't do it again!

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