A Lesson in Retail Counter Measures

When a retailer has a product it wants to sell, especially a product that might be of lower quality, over abundance, or one that is not terribly desirable, they will take measures to make the item more appealing to the consumer by offsetting one or more of the "short-comings" I have just mentioned.

For example, the retailer might offer the item as part of a "buy one, get one free" promotion, which will increase the items value to the consumer, or simply appeal to the idea of "getting something for free," it doesn't really matter what consumer trait the retailer is playing to, because it works. A local grocer in my area often offers items "buy one, get two free" deals which I cannot resist.

What happens, however, when the consumer has only a mild interest in a product that is not offered as part of one of these promotions? For example, what if you want to see a movie, but you are not even interested enough to pay the matinee price- never mind the full price- to see it? Well, the solution is actually relatively simple- you create your own "promotion." Here is how you do it:

Step 1: You pay the matinee price to see The Informant!
Step 2: When The Informant! ends, you walk down the hall and see Whip It.
Step 3: When Whip It ends, you walk back down the hall and see 9.
Step 4: Profit.

And, of course, you bring your own food.