Friday download

[wintercoates]

Kroger offers a "free Friday download". If you're unfamiliar you download a coupon on Friday and usually have 2 weeks to use it. It's always food and almost always non-vegan.

So here's the question. Do you download it, get it and give it away or not get it. I usually get it and give it away. I figure that way they're spending more money. But the flip side is they may think that there is demand for that item and up the production.

This isn't a big issue, but what do you do? What would you do?

[brimstoneSalad]

I would not do that, since it does stimulate demand (even theft does, in the restocking). Stores don't necessarily know the difference between theft, an actual sale, and a free promotion.

[PsYcHo]

I'd agree with brim that it still increases demand for a product. Having spent many years in retail, the coupons usually only cut into the profit margin, but still make it profitable to sell an item. Coupons generally don't cost a store money, they generate more money.

Lets say they sell widgets for $2. They buy the widgets for $1.25. Each sale nets them .75 cents in profit. So even with a .50 cent coupon, they are still making a profit of .25, but instead of selling 10 widgets this week, they sell 50 because of the sale price. Instead of $7.50, they are now bringing in $12.50.

[brimstoneSalad]

PsYcHo, these are actually free products; a giveaway. So it's a little more complicated.

But they're coming from inventory, not a set amount they're giving out. So they still get replaced, it's driving demand.

[wintercoates]

But they're coming from inventory, not a set amount they're giving out. So they still get replaced, it's driving demand.

That's a good point.

[brimstoneSalad]

But they're coming from inventory, not a set amount they're giving out. So they still get replaced, it's driving demand.

That's a good point.

I would say, however, that if they're high-protein mostly vegan options it could be worth it to displace more animal products from an omnivore's diet.

For example, if you find some vegetable soup which has a bunch of beans etc. in it, but has egg noodles, the effect of displacement *may* be larger than the contribution when introduced into a typical diet.

[wintercoates]

It's usually junk food. Sometimes a bar of some kind that happens to be vegan. I'll just get those.