Re:If people tried to pay for other services like they try t...
by lucasjung on Wednesday December 15, 2010 @08:38AM
(#2008019)
What I love about price discrimination is that sometimes you have to think through a few steps to figure out who the target demographics are, which makes it a sort of game for me. Sometimes it's obvious (senior discounts), but often it's a little more indirect. One of my favorites: I drive a diesel, and every Monday Shell sells their diesel at a discount of $0.10/gal. I figure that they're trying to discriminate between businesses (the overwhelming majority of diesel drivers in the U.S.) and individuals: a long-haul trucker has to buy gas right when he needs it, and probably can't just put it off until Monday; I typically use slightly more than half a tank of gas each week, so I rarely need gas so badly that I can't put it off until Monday.
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Re:If people tried to pay for other services like they try t...
by bmastenbrook on Wednesday December 15, 2010 @11:34AM
(#2008665)
The weekly diesel discount might also be a good way of attracting loyal customers from local businesses who operate diesel vehicles.
Re:If people tried to pay for other services like they try t...
by Splines on Wednesday December 15, 2010 @12:14PM
(#2008849)
Here's a thought: Could it be a form of weak lock-in? If you fill your tank on Monday, then you're less likely to fill up at that cheaper gas station on Thursday. When the next Monday comes around, you're probably going to need to fill up again, and well, there they are :)