4 ms·

How does a liquor store take advantage of the poor? Because it sells an addictive product cheaper than a bar does?

jwhitlark 9y ago
I think they were saying that there can be an advantage to an industry that serves the "poor" market.
PixelB 9y ago
Because a handle of vodka is cheaper than a visit to the doctor and all the medications you need, and will make you forget about all your problems.
- Chris2048 9y ago
  So someone who want to buy that vodka shouldn't be allowed to?
coldtea 9y ago
Because it's major market is disenfranchised poor, alcoholics, etc, not casual drinkers who appreciate the occasional taste of fine liquor. Take advantage not in the sense that it doesn't provide them with the product, or sells it more expensively to them, but in the sense that it feeds on their problems.
- hammock 9y ago
  I have not felt slimier than when when I was marketing a liquor brand and had the epiphany that 80/20 rule applies to it. If you look at the data, 80% of liquor is sold to people who drink 20 or more drinks a week. We spent so much time on marketing to "Millennial postgrads" but that wasn't the consumer..
  - jamie_ca 9y ago
    Yeah. Liquor consumption is crazy when you dig into the numbers. From [slate](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/10/how_much_alcohol_do_americans_drink_consumption_predicts_alcoholism_and.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_exa...), 11-drinks-per-week is the national average, but it's so top-loaded that hitting that average means you're in the top 20%. And given the top 10% is more-than-10-per-day, given it's also on the sharp end of the curve, I kinda don't even want to know what the numbers are for the top 5% or 1%...
- Chris2048 9y ago
  But does it create those Alcoholics? If they raised their prices, they'd be critisised; If they lowered their prices, they'd be critisised. Is the medical/insurance industry bad too? Don't all industries solve some problem?
  - DarkKomunalec 9y ago
    The easy availability of liquor creates an environment where people are more likely to fall to alcoholism. That's how I view the selling of a lot of unhealthy products - corporations creating a hostile environment, where you are more likely to succumb to your vices, for their profit. E.g. candy and chocolate placed at the checkout line.
    - Chris2048 9y ago
      But any business that refuses to do this, will lose money and fail to compete with those that do. Eventually, they'll get bought out by the company that does. It's up to government to regulate this stuff - a business is supposed to maximise profit.
      - coldtea 9y ago
        >It's up to government to regulate this stuff - a business is supposed to maximise profit. In an amoralistic, profit driven dystopia, yes. In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society. And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc.
        Chris2048 9y ago
        > In an amoralistic, profit driven dystopia, yes. Why? As stated, the government is supposed to regulate this stuff - that is partly why government exists. And this is by design. When regulation is proposed, it can them be publicly debated - rather than leave those decisions to whoever runs a particular business. > In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society. Says who? > And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc. Which is apparently what the consumer wants.. Notice how politicians tell the public what they want to hear? Well, the public too rarely take them to task. You get what you vote for..
notyourday 9y ago
Look at what kind of liquor and at what prices is sold in poor neighborhoods vs. rich ones.

I think they were saying that there can be an advantage to an industry that serves the "poor" market.

Because a handle of vodka is cheaper than a visit to the doctor and all the medications you need, and will make you forget about all your problems.

Chris2048 9y ago
So someone who want to buy that vodka shouldn't be allowed to?

coldtea 9y ago

Because it's major market is disenfranchised poor, alcoholics, etc, not casual drinkers who appreciate the occasional taste of fine liquor. Take advantage not in the sense that it doesn't provide them with the product, or sells it more expensively to them, but in the sense that it feeds on their problems.

hammock 9y ago
I have not felt slimier than when when I was marketing a liquor brand and had the epiphany that 80/20 rule applies to it. If you look at the data, 80% of liquor is sold to people who drink 20 or more drinks a week. We spent so much time on marketing to "Millennial postgrads" but that wasn't the consumer..
- jamie_ca 9y ago
  Yeah. Liquor consumption is crazy when you dig into the numbers. From [slate](http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_examiner/2014/10/how_much_alcohol_do_americans_drink_consumption_predicts_alcoholism_and.html http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/medical_exa...), 11-drinks-per-week is the national average, but it's so top-loaded that hitting that average means you're in the top 20%. And given the top 10% is more-than-10-per-day, given it's also on the sharp end of the curve, I kinda don't even want to know what the numbers are for the top 5% or 1%...
Chris2048 9y ago
But does it create those Alcoholics? If they raised their prices, they'd be critisised; If they lowered their prices, they'd be critisised. Is the medical/insurance industry bad too? Don't all industries solve some problem?
- DarkKomunalec 9y ago
  The easy availability of liquor creates an environment where people are more likely to fall to alcoholism. That's how I view the selling of a lot of unhealthy products - corporations creating a hostile environment, where you are more likely to succumb to your vices, for their profit. E.g. candy and chocolate placed at the checkout line.
  - Chris2048 9y ago
    But any business that refuses to do this, will lose money and fail to compete with those that do. Eventually, they'll get bought out by the company that does. It's up to government to regulate this stuff - a business is supposed to maximise profit.
    - coldtea 9y ago
      >It's up to government to regulate this stuff - a business is supposed to maximise profit. In an amoralistic, profit driven dystopia, yes. In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society. And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc.
      - Chris2048 9y ago
        > In an amoralistic, profit driven dystopia, yes. Why? As stated, the government is supposed to regulate this stuff - that is partly why government exists. And this is by design. When regulation is proposed, it can them be publicly debated - rather than leave those decisions to whoever runs a particular business. > In actual human societies, businesses are also supposed (whether they are or not is another story) to be ethical and improve society. Says who? > And most of them pay lip service to that all the time, in their ads, promotional copy, motivational speeches to employees, etc. Which is apparently what the consumer wants.. Notice how politicians tell the public what they want to hear? Well, the public too rarely take them to task. You get what you vote for..

notyourday 9y ago

Look at what kind of liquor and at what prices is sold in poor neighborhoods vs. rich ones.