Fluctuating prices
I do not understand retail. I mean, I get the part where the merchant offers stuff, and the client receives that stuff in return for money. Fits in with a chapter from a high school economics course. After that, my ken goes all barbie.
Last night, I helped choose a new monitor for life at home. We have kids, and today it seemed like a good idea to purchase more of the same. Except that the price had shifted, upward, by 20%. An offer to purchase at the price from hours before was met with a counter offer, for only 10% more.
The replacement model was not available (what a box store offers and what a box store actually can offer are not, necessarily, the same). We asked if, given the lack of stock, could we buy the model from last evening, and this time the price shift was only 5%. Within five minutes. You can bargain! Not win…
Now we have a second monitor. More time out and about, and the realization that we have other children who might want to profit from the parental largesse. I wasn’t on site for the third purchase, but the bargaining process meant that today’s price stayed for today, at least. Whew!
I guess that every dollar counts, for the client as for the merchant, but does it have to be so difficult. The value didn’t change in twenty-four hours, and we did do a little volume buying. Shouldn’t the deal have been a little sweeter? I’m biased (in my favour).
