On Tue, 22 May 2007 18:07:13 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
> wrote:

> wrote in message
.. .
>> On Tue, 22 May 2007 17:33:47 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>> > wrote:
>>
> wrote in message
...
>>>> On Tue, 22 May 2007 15:36:25 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>>>> > wrote:
>>>>
> wrote in message
om...
>>>>>> On Tue, 22 May 2007 13:35:51 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>
> wrote in message
>>>>>>>news:blq553lntfjq4bbgchn5ijp63qqpj9s7mv@4ax .com...
>>>>>>>> On Mon, 21 May 2007 22:14:58 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>>>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>"Pete C." > wrote in message
...
>>>>>>>>>> JoeSpareBedroom wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>>> "wff_ng_7" > wrote in message
>>>>>>>>>>> news:Gxl4i.4948$qp5.2303@trnddc03...
>>>>>>>>>>> > "Dimitri" > wrote:
>>>>>>>>>>> >> Subtle price change.
>>>>>>>>>>> >>
>> <snip>
>>>>
>>>> I'd have to know a lot more than you have told me to take a guess at
>>>> that; it would vary from business to business depending on various
>>>> overhead factors. And, again, it's irrelevant. I said a fair price; I
>>>> meant just that. By all means, charge what you must to make the profit
>>>> you need. Just don't lie to me to do it. Is that so hard to
>>>> understand? Are you seriously trying to argue that it's ok to try and
>>>> deceive consumers in order to remain profitable? If so, I'd like to
>>>> know exactly where =you= work; clearly, it's a business we should all
>>>> know about so we can avoid it.
>>>>
>>>> Regards,
>>>> Tracy R.
>>>
>>>I don't see it as deception. Apparently, you are easily deceived.
>>>
>>>Some here are also implying that "notification" is relevant, but nobody
>>>has
>>>suggested a way of "notifying" customers of size changes. Perhaps they'd
>>>like individual letters sent to every home in America. Or, billboards.
>>
>> Ok, we're going to have to agree to disagree here. You apparently have
>> a very different set of beliefs than I do about right and wrong. I
>> don't see how you can defend this practice as not being deceptive, but
>> whatever. I think it's obvious to the rest of us that it is, or at
>> least that it attempts to be. <shrug> And I notice you failed to
>> answer the question about where you work. <eg>
>>
>> Regards,
>> Tracy R.
>
>I missed your question. I work in a niche within the grocery wholesale biz.
>
>Let's start over. Do you believe that via research, manufacturers have a
>very good idea of what price range will turn off customers completely and
>make them seek a different product?

I'm sure they do, but that doesn't change anything. I have a college
education and an IQ in the high 140s. You can stop being patronizing.
I understand your premise. Allow me to paraphrase:

Our marketing department's research indicates that most consumers will
not purchase our product if the price goes above $x per package;
however, due to cost of production increases, we cannot afford to
produce the 32 oz. package we have made in the past and sell it for $x
or less. Therefore, we have decided to package 30 oz. in a 32 oz.
container, sell it for slightly less than $x and hope that most of our
customers are too oblivious to notice that they're getting less for
their money than they did last week, or too dumb to do the math and
realize that they are now, in fact, paying a price they find
unacceptable for our product. Thus we stay in business a little while
longer.

Does this strategy work? Undoubtedly, at least for a while. I suspect
it's unsustainable in the long run because sooner or later, your
customers are going to realize that they aren't getting the value they
expect for their money and they will buy someone else's product. The
bottom line is that, regardless of production costs, a product is only
worth what people are willing to pay for it, and smarmy marketing
tricks can only cover your ass for so long. In the meantime, is it
insulting to your customer's intelligence? Yes. Is it ethical?
Absolutely not, because it is an attempt to trick your customers into
purchasing something you know they would stop buying if they realized
that the price had crossed what they feel is an "acceptable"
threshhold. And you =do= know that, right? Sure you do, because you've
done the marketing research; that's how you know it's time to try and
pull a fast one.

Regards,
Tracy R.