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Can someone explain to me how "on special" deals work

Example, laptop - normally $995, on sale now for $499. Save $496
My understanding is that businesses never sell at a loss.
So, selling at $499, they still make money.
Extrapolating this, selling at $995 is purely making a whole lot of profit.
This example is offered by a long running business that will not be closing down anytime in the next few years. The business has a multi million dollar turn over. So they are not selling at cost to have short term bulk cash.
Is this what is called treating customers with contempt?
I notice supermarkets putting up the price of an item by 40% then the next week have the item at the price is was the previous week and claim that the customer is saving 40%.
A special that is not a special.
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carpediem · 61-69, M
Inventory financing is expensive. You have to move products to get them off the books. The 50% margins represent anticipated gross profits that include rents, overhead, financing, and also shoplifting costs. The devil is in the details. The items with deep discounts are simply not moving like they need to. So they dump them.