Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Great Moments of Retail: v1.04: Price Matching

The morning sky was hazy. Like a summer sky but without the heat intensity of a full-on summer morning. Looked like a day that could turn into the first really warm day of late spring. The radio was 'rockin' the Casbah' when the first customer came in with a little scrap torn from the newspaper.

"What is your price on this wine?" she asked the cashier.

"You'll have to check with our wine director, he's over there at his desk."

She came walking in my direction.

"You're hiding!" she said with a smile.

I guess it was true. I was hidden behind a box of zinfandel and my computer screen. "Now that you found me, how can I help?"

She asked me if I could meet a grocery price on either Barefoot or Yellow Tail Pinot Grigio. Well, not just the price, but the case discount off the value card price. I checked. It was barely above our cost. Yikes!

I took a deep breath and countered with my best price. I HAD to make something, so I didn't match, but came very, very close.

"I'm sorry," she said. "But I'm a senior you know and I have to get the best price."

And she walked. For a total of $2.40 on six bottles of wine.

And I breathed a sigh of relief. Our sales on the item are so slow I had only two bottle to sell!!!

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