Greetings Happy People,
The following story I have for you today is pretty interesting. It took place a couple days ago.
Before I went to a Thanksgiving party, I stopped at a nearby supermarket to pick up a can of cranberry sauce. As I walked towards the canned fruit aisle, I realized that I forgot to bring a can opener with me. After I picked up the cranberry sauce, I strolled over to the next aisle to find a simple hand held can opener. I looked through the various cooking utensils and there it was - a nice shiny hand held can opener!! Before I put my fingers on this item, I saw the price and said the following word – Really.
This price of this can opener was a mere $10. That’s right Happy People, ten whole dollars!! Why does it cost $10 to open up a $2 can of cranberries? Does it have laser-guided can opening technology? Do the handles have the Corinthian leather feel? Is it made out of specially reinforced titanium? If I am in a dire emergency, would the can opener automatically dial 9-1-1? It is just a hand held can opener. Instead of spending an extra $10 for a simple device, I decided to do a little price comparison. Of course before I left that supermarket, I did pay for the $2 can of cranberry sauce.
When I got in my car, I drove to a nearby store to see how much another handheld can opener cost. Which store did I go to? I have two words for you – Dollar Tree. As I walked into Dollar Tree, I went towards the kitchen utensil aisle. Within the next few steps guess what I saw, a handheld can opener!! For further investigation, I looked at this item upclose. Hmm, it feels like a can opener. The handle turns like a can opener. And for the real test, it actually open cans!! WOW!! Why in the world would one store charge $10 for a can opener when you can go to another store and get the same item for $9 less?? I have no idea. I am guessing that is has something to do with labor, taxes, or anything relevant to that. Thankfully, I bought the can opener and a few more items for the party.
When I see the price comparison between the two can openers, it had me thinking. As consumers, what do we look for when we buy a product? Do we look for the name? Do we look for how it works? Do we just look for the efficiency? Or do we buy the item to show it off to other Happy People? In this economy, we still have people buying extravagant items when something simple can work just as well. Sometimes it is not how much something cost, but how effective the product can be. If more people can see it that way, then many of them will stop buying the $10 handheld can openers and just focus on the basic purpose on what they want.
Excuse me, I got to go. My $30 telephone is ringing, I wonder who that could be?
That is all I have for now. Take care and thank you for your time and attention.
Sincerely,
Jesse I-I-I
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