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Such price inflation would be illegal in the European Union, as what can be advertised as a "sale" is regulated by consumer law, and raising prices in the previ
by TuringTest 11y ago
Such price inflation would be illegal in the European Union, as what can be advertised as a "sale" is regulated by consumer law, and raising prices in the previous weeks is forbidden.
Nevertheless, that doesn't mean that it won't be done; the appeal of marketing tricks is too strong for many businesses, because psychology trumps buyer's rational consideration in the aggregate and thus these practices pay for themselves against any possible sanction.
(If it didn't work, the art of advertising would look completely different).
- unsettledtck 11y agoIf I'm not mistaken (which I might be), there are only specific and regulated periods of the year where sales are actually approved. So it might be an interesting follow up project to track EU retailers. My qualm with the practices of certain US retailers that we tracked was that they offered the inflated prices on the same days as the sales, so that it wasn't even a matter of raising prices in the weeks leading up.
- dreamdu5t 11y agoArt!? Advertising is blatant manipulation, and fraud as we see in this case. But it's okay - without advertisers nobody would know they exist and the sky will fall. So we need them.