Most people know that they aren’t supposed to drink coffee late in the day since its high caffeine content interferes with sleep. What about tea, however? How does drinking tea before bed affect your sleep?
The answer to this question really depends on the type of tea that you are talking about. Caffeinated tea like black tea has a similar effect
Coupons can be an amazing way to attract customers and incentivize them into making a purchase. However, there are some businesses that exploit coupons and use them as a form of false advertising. On one level, it’s easy to understand the allure of falsely advertising with coupons. A lot of people will be taken in by a deal that seems too good to be true. When it comes down to it, however, this strategy will eventually fail.
Continue reading “Why Some Companies Use False Advertising Coupons To Gain More Customers”There is a phrase that many people often use which is called bargaining a good price. It is often used in conjunction with negotiating deals. Whether you are purchasing a small item from a local store, or if you are trying to purchase a home, bargaining often plays a large role in getting the best price possible. There are some areas of the world where bargaining is expected, and people can actually be insulted if you do not. It is simply a good strategy to use if you are trying to save money on any purchase. Here are a few tips on how to bargain a good price on a consistent basis.
What Does Bargaining Mean?
Bargaining simply means negotiating. In terms of purchasing property, or store-bought items, you are just looking for a way to save money on your purchase. In some cases, this is not possible, particularly when going into a local store. Unless you have a coupon, or if there is a sale on certain items that the business is presenting, there is no way to negotiate in those circumstances. Bargaining often occurs when making offers on things like real estate, vehicles, or when you go to a local flea market where they are selling thousands of different items.
Being successful at bargaining begins with forming a relationship with the person that you are bargaining with. For example, if you do go to a flea market, and they are presenting items that you can purchase, you can often negotiate with them by offering them a lesser amount. In these circumstances, you will often have them counter your offer with a price that is lower than they are asking, and they will often not go lower than a certain amount. Therefore, when bargaining, you need to be reasonable with the price that you are offering, but at the same time, to stand your ground on how much you are willing to pay. Successful bargaining only occurs when you begin to engage with the person offering an item or service that you would like to have. It also requires you to know when to stop. This tends to come with experience, regardless of what you are trying to purchase, but almost everyone will learn how to do this after bargaining just a couple of times.
The Key To Getting The Price That You Want
In some cases, there is one strategy that you can use that is one of the most effective. This requires you to be willing to walk away. You have probably seen this many times where someone is going to purchase a car, but if they cannot get the price that they want, they tell the salesperson that they are going to leave. The person that is selling the car may have already prequalified the individual, and they know that they can make the purchase. At this point, the salesperson will be willing to drop the price even more just so they can make the sale. This strategy of walking away is often one of the most successful when bargaining for larger items. It may also work with smaller items, but because of the lower price, negotiating strategies are much more limited.
Places To Avoid Bargaining
One final strategy that you need to know is when you should never bargain. As mentioned before, if you are at a department store, or a local grocery store, these are locations where bargaining is not proper. However, outside of the context of stores and shopping malls, bargaining can be a very useful tool for saving hundreds or thousands of dollars. By realizing that there are certain places where bargaining is expected, and where it is not, you can hone your skills as a highly successful bargainer.
Bargaining is a strategy that has been used for centuries. It is something that anyone can learn. If you are not sure if bargaining is proper, you can test it out initially, sometimes leading to a lower price than you expected. Once you become more adept negotiating skills, you can use this to help yourself save thousands of dollars throughout the year. It’s one of the best ways to eliminate the need for paying top retail prices for any item or service.
The mattress industry was one of the most stable retail lineups for decades. The mattress departments in major retailers accounted for some of their highest markup items and their highest profits. Over the last few years, this has all started to change, and the change is happening fast. Let’s take a look at the factors which are causing the shakeup in the industry.
The biggest change has been in how customers shop. Buying items online has become commonplace and that trend has moved quickly into mattress sales. Customers who used to love to come into stores and try out a variety of mattresses before making their choice are now more interested in convenience.
Bed-In-A-Box sellers are growing at a dramatic pace. Every sale they make takes away from retail mattress stores. It is not only the lost sales that are affecting the retail chains. They had to cut their prices to stay competitive, making their profit margins drop drastically.
Mattress retailers advertised closeout sales every month, but in the past that meant they were closing out a product line, which was quickly replaced by Sealy, Simmons or Tempur-Pedic. Now it means something completely different. They are going out of business because they cannot make a profit. Mattress stores are declining in numbers at an alarming pace, while online sellers increase in numbers.
The new model of sales of mattresses sees manufacturers selling directly to consumers, bypassing the costly retail stores. This reduces costs for consumers and increases profits for the manufacturer.
Part of this change can be traced to the higher number of imported mattresses. Mattresses imported from China have been on a rapid upward trend over the last few years, causing even more pressure for domestic manufacturers to change their distribution methods.
Another factor that affects this change is the adjustable comfort mattress. No longer is it necessary to pick the perfect firmness for your mattress. You can buy a mattress that can be adjusted to fit you. The adjustable mattresses often allow different firmness settings for each half, eliminating arguments between spouses on which firmness of mattress to buy. You do not need to go to a retail store to try out a mattress if you know you can adjust the firmness.
Companies like Tuft & Needle and Casper, who sell direct to consumers, have become as well known as Sealy, Serta, and Tempur-Pedic.
The real question is how will the traditional brands respond? Will they quickly change course and start offering bed-in-a-box options to compete with these new companies? Actually, if you do a little research, you will see they have already started the change. Sealy and Serta both offer mattress options in a box to ship directly to your home. Other companies are quickly jumping aboard the trend.
In a few years, it may be hard to find a mattress store. The changes in the industry are happening fast and appear to be accelerating. The change will be hard on retailers, but may be a blessing to both consumers and manufacturers with lower costs for buyers and higher profits for manufacturers.
