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I keep track on my shopping list counting how many of the Buy X Save Y number I have, so I know if I need to pick up one more something or that I have one too many and can either put something back or just pay the regular price. I tend to stock up when they have those sales and never find it too tough to get the right number. It's usually on sale anyway, and then you save an extra 50 cents of that, so a good enough deal to stock up on things I know I use regularly.
Our store does a math trick. Follow along,
Item is 50 % off, and today only we will give you an additional 10%. Common math would say hey that is 60% off then. But oh contrere'! It's not:
$1000 item, 50% off = 500., Then an additional 10%= 50 off. Leaving the total cost to purchase be $450.00.
If it were the true 60%, it would come to 400$ to the consumer. I consider this little tactic deceiving...And we lost a few customers who seemed equally mislead.
Our store does a math trick. Follow along,
Item is 50 % off, and today only we will give you an additional 10%. Common math would say hey that is 60% off then. But oh contrere'! It's not:
$1000 item, 50% off = 500., Then an additional 10%= 50 off. Leaving the total cost to purchase be $450.00.
If it were the true 60%, it would come to 400$ to the consumer. I consider this little tactic deceiving...And we lost a few customers who seemed equally mislead.
Transparency is key in retaining customers.
Additional off is calculated off the discounted price. This is how it is.
Edit: Additional off is added to the primary discount. So, 50% off with 10% additional off means total discount of 50%+ (10% of 50%)= 55%. My earlier statement is incorrect.
One local chain here (Shurfine) now uses "Fetch"... placing a special sign at the item... which requires customer to scan the sign using a "smart" phone to get a discount...not me, not yet, probably not ever...I just don't buy that item.
Another chain (Weis) mixes
"buy mix/match 6 of these different things (spread across the store and brochure) and get a discount" while at the same time offereing another
"mix/match 10 of these (different) things and get a discount"
...and also the simpler buy x of this one item and get a discount (no problem here)
In all cases ONLY exact batches of the number specified get the discount... fewer or more than that number are a higher price. I seldom use either of the mix/match mess
...and then there are manufacturer and store only coupons...
One local chain here (Shurfine) now uses "Fetch"... placing a special sign at the item... which requires customer to scan the sign using a "smart" phone to get a discount...not me, not yet, probably not ever...I just don't buy that item.
Another chain (Weis) mixes
"buy mix/match 6 of these different things (spread across the store and brochure) and get a discount" while at the same time offereing another
"mix/match 10 of these (different) things and get a discount"
...and also the simpler buy x of this one item and get a discount (no problem here)
In all cases ONLY exact batches of the number specified get the discount... fewer or more than that number are a higher price. I seldom use either of the mix/match mess
...and then there are manufacturer and store only coupons...
Goodness gracious. I would pass on that strategy as well. I don't want to have to haul something extra out of my pit of a purse to try to get a discount; no savings card, no phone, no coupon. I want to select the item, stick it in the cart, pay, and leave. And who came up with the name for it? "Fetch?" We're people, not dogs.
Worst is they don't display the actual price when scanned at register but something along the lines of $2.00, savings of $0.50
Just say $1.50. What's so hard about that. And sometimes they don't take off the discount until you are done scanning all your items and press pay.
My pet peeve too, one item shouldn't take an inch of space and have three lines to tell you how much you paid for it, reg price, store discount, coupon savings, bleh. I wonder if there is some law that says stores have to show you these savings per item or if it's the stores that are trying to show you what a bargain! you got by shopping there.
Well my kid was the beneficiary of the "Buy 6, Save $3" promotion today - I needed one more item to make up my second set of 6, and left him choose a pack of cookies. He was happy. :-)
Target is king of nonsensical pricing—where Item A will be $1.00 and a 2-pack of Item A will be $4.00, and have a sticker on it touting the savings of buying more.
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