Evolution of the Bargain Table
What it used to be
Real books that publishers moved at a deep discount to clear warehouse space for new product.
What it is
Crummy books cheaply made expressly to sell at bargain prices. In the business we call these "made remainders".
When I started as a bookseller the ratio of real to made remainders was 90/10.
Now that ratio has almost flipped. Few of the 'remainders' carried by the big chains these days ever a career with a legitimate publishing house. They put up a brave front, but they're just scraps stitched together to meet a price point.
This same dishonest tactic is metastasizing through retail culture.
Visit any Mervyn's and you'll be bombarded with bogus "sale" prices.
The fiction at play here is MSRP, Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price.
A manufacturer markets a $20 pair of pants they "suggest" Mervyn's sell for $40.
Mervyn's displays it at 50% OFF, a steal at $19.95
And someone who would scoff at paying 20 bucks for a 20 dollar pair of pants is suddenly on board.
No comments:
Post a Comment