> wrote in message
...
> 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
m...
>>>>> On Tue, 22 May 2007 15:36:25 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>
y> wrote in message
>>>>>>news:u33653l4kdp029ptvslgkm1r39cfbmu1n6@4ax. com...
>>>>>>> On Tue, 22 May 2007 13:35:51 GMT, "JoeSpareBedroom"
>>>>>>> > wrote:
>>>>>>>
y> wrote in message
>>>>>>>>news:blq553lntfjq4bbgchn5ijp63qqpj9s7mv@4a x.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.


I guess the word "trick" is where our opinions differ. I don't make such
judgements without having what I consider to be enough information. However,
I'll say this: Two highly accurate recent surveys prove that about 54% of
the population isn't especially bright. I think a significant portion of
those individuals would have a tough time understand why a $2.99 container
of food gradually crept up to $4.50, instead of being converted to a smaller
container.