The totally off-topic thread

[JohnK]

A great example of buyer behaviour in action Hvr.

If you sit people in a room, and give them the two options on paper, most people would buy the 30 can pack. The product (in the can) is exactly the same. It's a consumable good with a long shelf life. A rudimentary analysis suggests that you should buy at the best price per unit, and maximise the number of units purchased at this price (within reason - your cupboard is only so big, and you may have cash flow concerns).

It helps if you are good at maths.

A pack of 18 Schick Exacta 2 disposable razors costs ~$11. A pack of 6 (5 + 1 bonus) is usually ~$3. It is always priced that way. Never quite understood why.

 

[penegal]

It helps if you are good at maths.

A pack of 18 Schick Exacta 2 disposable razors costs ~$11. A pack of 6 (5 + 1 bonus) is usually ~$3. It is always priced that way. Never quite understood why.

"Buying in Bulk is cheaper" - but actually - not always.


You make a good point - basic numeracy skills certainly help, and as a society we have far too many people (especially young people) who can't do basic arithmetic without the assistance of calculator.

 

[mannej]

Did you get the first block for free? Code of practice usually means first incorrectly scanned item is free (major supermarkets).

It wasn't a scanning error, the operator entered incorrectly as he didn't want to listen to the fact it was a 30 block and not a 24 block.

I got the difference back so not fazed by the code of practice.

 

[medhead]

Or they are having a kids birthday party with 12 or 24 invited children and don't want to deal with fights over the extra 6 cans.

It helps if you are good at maths.

A pack of 18 Schick Exacta 2 disposable razors costs ~$11. A pack of 6 (5 + 1 bonus) is usually ~$3. It is always priced that way. Never quite understood why.

"Buying in Bulk is cheaper" - but actually - not always.


You make a good point - basic numeracy skills certainly help, and as a society we have far too many people (especially young people) who can't do basic arithmetic without the assistance of calculator.

Or just basic reading skills and a good set of glasses. All price labels I've inspected closely have a per unit price on them. Sometimes the unit is a bit obscure, and then numeracy skills will help. But softdrink is usually $ per l or per 100 ml. Obscure in that it's not per can, but per volume allows comparison with bottled softdrink.

 

[penegal]

Or they are having a kids birthday party with 12 or 24 invited children and don't want to deal with fights over the extra 6 cans.

People do that?

Doesn't "Dad" just get the extra 6 to water down his Bourbon?

 

[Pushka]

I think there is an app for price comparisons - or maybe check the unit price where there are no giveaways. Just sayin.

 

[bismarck]

The role of unit pricing and package sizes is quite interesting.

This story from WaPo has an interesting take on how smaller cans have helped boost Coca Cola's profits - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/02/11/coca-colas-clever-little-trick/

Anecdotally, I know my MIL buys the mini cans despite knowing they are poor value. She apparently only wants to drink a small amount and feels the bottle goes flat too quickly.

 

[medhead]

People do that?

Doesn't "Dad" just get the extra 6 to water down his Bourbon?

Not this dad. Coke is the real thing, only black death for me.

Besides I drink Bundy and pepsi would turn it sour.

Buying bottles versus cans? We also make the choice based on whether there is a family gathering or not.

 

[Cruiser Elite]

I'll be buying 2 of these me tinks:



One for Cruiserette for her bday and the other for penegal at the next AFF function!

 

[penegal]

I'll be buying 2 of these me tinks:

View attachment 65371

One for Cruiserette for her bday and the other for penegal at the next AFF function!

hahaha, WTF - What are they for? Keeping your mouth shut while sleeping?

 

[Bindibuys]

What is it supposed to do?

 

[Cruiser Elite]

Yeah supposed to stop snoring but if re-positioned slightly might just solve another problem!

 

[get me outta here]

And then you can go to the dentist to get measured for a teeth guard to stop the grinding as you have nightmares about being suffocated.

I'll be buying 2 of these me tinks:

View attachment 65371

One for Cruiserette for her bday and the other for penegal at the next AFF function!

 

[medhead]

Currently testing out emergency department service. Tip for the young player: if something is coming up again and you have a prescription that has previously worked to address the issue, make sure you take it with you when traveling interstate.

Still at least I'm getting paid to watch midday TV.

 

[erkpod]

I am one of the people who buys the cans of drink for our drink machines at work. We try & get them under 50 cents a can. We either go to Woolies, Coles or IGA depending on who is cheaper in the cycle when we need to stock up.

Having all 3 apps on my phone is handy to know who has the cheaper drinks at any time.

 

[erkpod]

News just in: The guy who played Commandant Lassard in Police Academy has died aged 98.

Apart from Police Academy, I'll best remember George Gaynes as Punky's responsible adult in Punky Brewster.

https://t.co/Ko8ZhqfkwQ

 

[drron]

I think there is an app for price comparisons - or maybe check the unit price where there are no giveaways. Just sayin.

You need an app?I still do it all in my head.
And at the fruit place which doesn't take amex I have added up the price as I go-they have scales to tell you the price-so have the exact change when I go to pay.Does some of the young thing's heads in.

 

[Pushka]

You need an app?I still do it all in my head.
And at the fruit place which doesn't take amex I have added up the price as I go-they have scales to tell you the price-so have the exact change when I go to pay.Does some of the young thing's heads in.

I hated doing tuck shop duty for this very reason!

 

[anat0l]

You need an app?I still do it all in my head.

The main reason for the app is to check what the prices are before you go. When you're inside the shop deciding among the available brands, not a big deal (usually) as you're usually just comparing labels close to each other*. If you need to compare between shops, then that's something else (you don't want to run between the two shops, either wasting time and/or burning more fuel).

* The exception to this is when you have to compare SKUs which are set apart from their standard aisle, e.g. on the "ends" of the aisles (you know how they put random stuff on the ends of aisles where they "don't belong"), or the floor specials.

 

[JessicaTam]

You need an app?I still do it all in my head.
And at the fruit place which doesn't take amex I have added up the price as I go-they have scales to tell you the price-so have the exact change when I go to pay.Does some of the young thing's heads in.

My last shop at Coles I was adding in my head as I went. The register showed $83.68, say, and I said I was expecting $83.67. When the cashier pressed the subtotal button the price dropped by 1c to cancel out the voucher I had scanned. The price then matched what I was expecting. She looked at me with renewed respect - or perhaps as if she thought I had two heads.