These days, as you get near the billing counter in any of the supermarkets , the girl/guy at the counter asks for card – the supermarket card. And if you say, “sorry, I don’t have one”, the girl/guy asks “you need one”? Usually most of the people ask for the card whenever they are asked if they want a card. Why not to go for it when they are giving it for free?
However,
There is nothing in World which comes FREE!!
You may be wondering why such a claim is being made! Well, the matter of fact is, as you get the cards, though you may earn a few points after shopping and later redeem them, the company makes a lot of profit by giving you that card away.
Bewildered?
Well, it is natural to be bewildered. After all, may be this is a startling fact. Profit, by giving something for free? How?
Say, I got a card from “XYZmart”. I will ask the girl/guy at the counter to swipe my card every time I buy something. So my points are added to my card. And after every 500 points, I can redeem them and get some concession in my bill.
Got anything fishy?
No? No problem. As soon as you are given a card, you are a repeating customer to the XYZmart. They have made you a repeating customer just by giving away a free card. As you are a repeating customer, you will buy something the next tome you visit. And as everyone knows, the business is here to make a profit. So every time you buy something, a small amount of money goes in to the cash counters of the mart as profit.
Simple, right? But what is the problem with cards? I am buying and getting points. And also I am getting a good deal by redeeming points. That is fair, right?
This is where is the catch. Since you are redeeming points, you will buy more than what is necessary. You may not admit it, you will. Ever wondered why they allow even the customers who do not buy anything? The supermarkets create a showroom like niche where even the people who had not come to buying anything will end up buying.
Many stores have found something that gets them a lot of selling of goods. Just by increasing the volume of the container that you carry to get goods from rack till the counter, they will sell more. This is human psychology. And many people come to these supermarkets to buy only one thing or two, however, the flashy lights, the neatly arranged items lure them and make them go out of the store with a few more items than what they actually require!
This is how these supermarkets make profit!
And that card that they give for free is just a small give away! The returns are, however, awfully more!!
padmanemi 