The power of good offers
is that they make you buy things you did not plan on buying. Many a time did a decent offer intrude on budgets and helped accumulate product upon product of no daily use in the collections of buyers.
But isn’t that the point of marketing? To make you feel absolutely in need for something you probably can do as perfectly well without, and to lure your purse into generating the cash to purchase this item or that? Most people, myself included, fall for things just because they’re “new”, add to that a nice slice out of the price and the offer is irresistible.
It often happens that one tries to prioritize on monthly spendings, and to set a definite limit and a rule on what to buy, and how much to invest in shopping crusades and outings. But more often than that, one is faced with an attractive 70% or a “buy one get two free” bright sticker on some display window that renders it impossible to ignore and to move on with life, and with one’s agreed-upon budget plan.
After an incident of this sort, the buyer may feel exalted at first, for having gotten the same item for less, but then he or she might feel a bit guilty for having contradicted their budget plans. I am not sure why this feeling is sometimes present, shouldn’t thrill and a sentiment of I-am-money-smart prevail? Perhaps it should, I make no guesses.
Should we blame the magnet of an offer, the salary that does not afford us everything, or the self that just cannot say No ?
Tololy,
Always observant, as usualy. Isn’t the idea to dictate to people what they ought to need, and make them feel they need it?
Isn’t that the idea of fashion and “moda”? To create a feeling that you are missing something, when in fact, you are perfectly in no need for anything new? The explosion in mass production is forcing businesses to start feeding people their products by force. Its insatiable greed on behalf of producers to sell and earn profits.
In a way, you cant blame the businesses, the consumer or the regulator – they are all conspirators, either by pushing their own agenda (bussinesses), maintaining silence (consumer), or tacitly co-operating (governments/regulators). It is getting out of hand for sure.