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IrishEyes

(3,275 posts) Sat Nov 2, 2013, 04:48 PM Nov 2013

Strange experience at the bookstore.

I saw two books I wanted at the bookstore in the sale section. They were $10 each. I went to buy them and had a weird exchange with the cashier.

Cashier: These books are three for $27 so you should get another book.
Me: Thanks but I just want these books.
Cashier: But they are three for $27. You can save three dollars.
Me: I just want the two.
Cashier: It will cost more. You can get another book.
Me: I don't want another book.

He tried to argue with me for awhile before he gave up. I'm not sure why he thought that spending $27 for an extra book that I don't want is better than spending $20.

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Strange experience at the bookstore. (Original Post) IrishEyes Nov 2013 OP

Only unusual because he kept pushing. But that's a coupon tactic. haele Nov 2013 #1

haele

(12,660 posts)

1. Only unusual because he kept pushing. But that's a coupon tactic.

Reply to IrishEyes (Original post)

Sat Nov 2, 2013, 05:25 PM

Nov 2013

Buy two, get one three. Get a dollar off if you purchase four. You have to spend more than you had probably originally planned to get a discount.

They want to sell volume to move excess stock and recover the mark-up. That "three dollars off" you get for purchasing three books instead of one or two is probably half the mark-up the store would be getting if they sold one - plus they save the holding cost of the additional book, which is probably around $.05 a day (which can add up when you have around 10K books and another 1K or so of other product to move...).

Beginning of the month, they're probably expecting a major shipment next week. Also, the cashiers are probably getting pushed to move old stock for the holiday space.

Haele

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