Subj : Re: Solar TV Battery Test II To : Barry Martin From : Nancy Backus Date : Mon May 04 2020 20:20:14 -=> Quoting Barry Martin to Nancy Backus on 26-Apr-2020 10:43 <=- NB>>> Exactly... it is possible for a product to actually be improved, NB>>> in a way that is useful.... ;) But often it's only hype... BM>> Most of it is. I don't go around looking at the darker side of things BM>> but seems most of the 'new & improved' is for the manufacturer's BM>> benefit. NB>> Often merely even a chance to charge more for the same product and get NB>> away with it... ;0 BM> Possibly and probably right: the 'new and improved' isn't the same as BM> the original and so could be charged at a different rate. OTOH it BM> might not be too good an idea to change the product and change the BM> price: I'm thinking a price decrease could be interpreted as not as BM> good as the original, a price increase interpreted as an opportunity to BM> explore other brands as if the original had to be improved maybe it BM> wasn't so good after all. Likely any price increase would be hidden.... It might be the same price per container, but the net weight or volume has decreased slightly... thinking that the customer is less likely to notice that sort of thing... ;) BM>> Wide mouth in a Thermos is great for soup, stews, etc.; remember BM>> reading a 10% increase in the opening of items like toothpaste, BM>> ketchup, etc., caused the consumer to use more, so good for the seller, BM>> not necessarily good for the buyer as caused more to be used when not BM>> necessary. NB>> If one doesn't realize that more is coming out the opening... NB>> eventually the buyer could figure it out, though, and go back to NB>> using the original amount, just squeezing a little less... :) BM> True, though I'm recalling the study stating the consumer was using BM> more because of the increased flow, not adjusting back, and so the BM> sales increased. I'd assume some consumers would realize the flow BM> change and so cut back, but overall appears most kept the squeeze BM> constant and so used more. Maybe after the results of the study came out some more customers changed their usage as well... ;) BM>>>> The 'buck/boost' device idea derived from a 'technical advertisement'. BM>>>> Will admit it took a few postings of the ad to finally catch. NB>>>> It finally dawned on you what good it might do YOU... ;) BM>>> Yup! I had been thinking Zener diode which would 'buck' the high BM>>> input voltage but would do nothing for the low input. For than I had a BM>>> digital voltmeter: visually monitoring. Both of those have a bit of a BM>>> flaw, which is probably why I didn't persue. NB>>> Having something to handle both ends of the problem without your NB>>> needing to intervene is indeed a useful thing... :) BM>> Right. Human monitoring and intervention is good up to a point; so is BM>> automated monitoring. A combination of both seems to be right for BM>> this instance. NB>> Indeed. With the right tools, one can do the right combination... :) BM> Right, though sometimes need to find the right tool exists! True... that always helps... ;) BM>>> As for the lack of digital coupons, Clorox and the like don't need to BM>>> advertise much less give money off; DiGiorno probably would still like BM>>> to tempt customers away from Tony's. And redeemed coupons add several BM>>> cents to the store's bottom line. NB>>> I was thinking more of the store's own digital coupons... I've not NB>>> been getting the digital manufacturer's coupons... only the paper ones NB>>> when they happen to show up for things I buy anyway... :) BM>> Possibly due to different state regulations: I'd say most of Hy-Vee's BM>> digital coupons are manufacturers'. The one that seems to be an BM>> exclusion is Kraft: if their cheese has a coupon always need a paper BM>> one; I've never seen it as a digital coupon. The digital ad will also BM>> link the advertised item to the digital coupon; for Kraft cheese never BM>> has a "load coupon" button but some statement indicating need to clip BM>> the coupon out of the paper. NB>> Might be state regulations, might just be store policy... Wegmans has NB>> a lot of really high quality (and sometimes price) store items, so a NB>> coupon to encourage the consumer to try it can be useful... There are NB>> some digital coupons on the Wegmans site for brand name products from NB>> time to time, just not as often... It does seem very strange, though, NB>> to not have any digital coupons available... I'm sure it's a passing NB>> thing, and probably related to needing to keep stock on the shelves, NB>> and with the crisis not knowing what will have the next run on it.. ;) BM> My guess is more uncertainty over product availablity: sudden closure BM> of a manufacturing (or import) facility, causing an unexpected drying BM> up of the supply; can't put it on the shelf if don't have it. That's another possibility... BM> May be better to not entice the average consumer with a sale or BM> coupon than to deal with the 'negative publicity' of implying the BM> product would be available at a discount (sale/coupon). BJ's still has coupons available (although they just shifted to all done digitally or clipless instead of having paper coupons), but they have a disclaimer right there with the coupons that due to the current crisis, there might be disruptions in the supply or not sufficient goods on the shelves, and that there won't be any rainchecks for the time being... So they are trying to deflect any negative publicity issues, obviously... BM>>> I was telling someone last week's Hy-Vee digital ad had over 1,000 BM>>> items while this week's had a little over 400. And their 99› orange BM>>> juice (limit two) was sold out. (But I did get the last roll of Angel BM>>> Soft toilet paper, plus I had a dollar off digital coupon!!) NB>>> Win some, lose some... ;) BM>> Right now I would have preferred the orange juice over the toilet BM>> paper but my mind may change later! NB>> Depending on what you were out of at the time... BM> That does tend to alter my needs perception! Yup... ttyl neb .... Fig Newton: Force required to accelerate a fig 39.37 inches per second --- EzyBlueWave V3.00 01FB001F * Origin: Tiny's BBS - http://www.tinysbbs.com (454:1/452) .