Backwards Thinking

[Astra]

For some strange reason I truly believe that the powers that be in Toronto are somewhat hindered in their thought processes, probably due to lack of intelligence and they definitely do not work together for the greater good.

They have urged us all to show our solidarity for Toronto by visiting the City and availing ourselves of its many attractions.

To this end, gas prices at certain gas stations have been reduced to 49.9; many tourist attractions have slashed their prices (entrance to the CN Tower is supposedly $5) and a special hotel, meal, show and Blue Jays Game promotion is being offered at the exceptionally low price of $185. All great deals and all offers many would love to take advantage of.

However, at the same time two of the the main arteries into the City, both from the East and the West, namely the DVP and the Gardiner Expressway have been closed down for the entire weekend!

What can I say, but "Good Thinking Batman!"

Astra

 

[LateComer]

Astra - I was thinking the same thing. I don't think the gov't realizes how much money is lost due to the poor road system in Toronto. It could be argued that road closures mean the gov't is maintaining the roads (a good thing, however, our road system is so inadequate that one or two closures paralize the City.

 

[sara@select]

Not to mention the large group of people protesting something this afternoon blocking Yonge St.- yikes!

 

[Alien (<>..<>)]

So does this mean that these shitheads had the price of gas at $0.79 cents for the sheer purpose of making money off our backs than for a scarcity of oil supply? Why are they now able to get prices down at 0.49 cents and the CNN now charges $5 instead of $25?

Thank God for SARS. this will show these bloodsuckers to be more human, I hope they go bankrup, this is a Godly disease in terms of punishing bloodsuckers.

 

[submissivedave]

Alien ... that was a truthful comment yet very funny ... hehehehe ...

 

[Astra]

Reprimand for Alien and SubDave

Sorry Alien and SubDave - I don't get the joke.

Alien only a few gas stations in the central TO area reduced the cost of gas as an incentive for people to come back to Toronto and show the world that SARS does not have the stranglehold on the community that the media has so falsely portrayed. The same holds true for the CN Tower admission price being reduced.

To take my minor rant to the extreme and be grateful for SARS is distasteful to say the least.

An Annoyed Astra

 

[Sasha Jones]

It is called a Loss leader.

It lures people into a store or whatever at a loss to the company, but they hope that "amazing" sale will bring the customers back again to buy stuff that they will make money on.

Anyone who ever took any kind of Marketing class should know that!

 

[Roadrunner]

Re: Reprimand for Alien and SubDave

Sorry Alien and SubDave - I don't get the joke.

Alien only a few gas stations in the central TO area reduced the cost of gas as an incentive for people to come back to Toronto and show the world that SARS does not have the stranglehold on the community that the media has so falsely portrayed. The same holds true for the CN Tower admission price being reduced.

To take my minor rant to the extreme and be grateful for SARS is distasteful to say the least.

An Annoyed Astra

I am with Astra totally on this. There is nothing worth thanking SARS for except we get to better appreciate the dedications of our front line health care workers.

Sasha said it well, it is simply a way these businesses trying to lure back the customers. Motives ? Isn't that obvious?

I am equally frustrated by the escalating gas prices over the years. I happened to have a friend who works as an accountant for a large oil company. I was told that the competition amongst these companies is so fierce that the profit margin is extermely low. Politics has a lot to do with what the oil price is at any given time.

CN Tower has been ripping people off for a $25 admission fee? How do you know the recent $5 discount fee covers the cost? CN Tower tour is also a business, so that you know.

As of today, the net loss in Toronto b/c of SARS has been estimated to be about 1 BILLION dollars. Go figure.

For Astra,
The simultaneous big discounts you mentioned and the DVP closure seems paradoxical. Could be due to poor coordination. The choice for this weekend for DVP closure is meant to avoid having to do it in the summer months, which could cause even more traffic headaches.

The road system in Toronto sucks. Now that we are 1 billion dollars behind, the hope for more highways in the near future remains a dream. But, hopefully it doesn't deter people from visiting this exciting and safe city.

 

[Wired For Sound]

It is called a Loss leader.

It lures people into a store or whatever at a loss to the company, but they hope that "amazing" sale will bring the customers back again to buy stuff that they will make money on.

Anyone who ever took any kind of Marketing class should know that!

I took Marketing in College. Most of the nonsense ejaculated by many who are hostile to how markets work have no clue how it's done.

 

[CyberGoth]

marketing doublespeak makes my skin crawl

loss leader... yeah, future shoppe does that sort of thing ALOT except they use low price offers for items that are OUT OF STOCK and hence unavailable and then offer rebates which never arrive.

it all strikes me as somewhat hypocritical of people like future shop et al to do that. [say one thing, do something else]

but then, if one is shopping for something like a big TV, then there can be deals to be had at places like future shoppe. its all a question of keeping an eye peeled for managers end of stock specials and things that vary from store to store.

I'd never buy computer equipment from future shop, but they sell perfectly decent TVs and vcrs and stereos and stuff like that.

reading the fine print on the advertising inserts from future shop et al seems to help. frequently the great deal adverted in the insert says one thing and when U go buy it... reality turns out to be totally different on some occasions. but this really depends on the people involved.

I once went to a future shop and was ignored until I pulled out a huge wadd of $50s and waved them at the manager saying "come sell me stuff please". Curiously, I was wearing a really nice suit at the time and looked perfectly normal. I had spotted something I'd wanted to buy. so customer service also varies from store to store.

at the end of the day, I disregard pretty much all marketing as irrelevant nonsense. Future shoppe is marketed as "sophisticated electronic equipment for the masses with a smile" and the reality is quite literally a case of YMMV

I get FAR better value at Costco these days anyway. grins. its nice to be able to buy 120gig disks a dozen at a time and not worry about it. Just pick up boxes, put into cart, go pay... go home. simple. simple is good for driving up sales.

At costco, you literally have "what you see is what you get" and consistancy of experience is good thus far.

this produces happy customers who come back and go on massive shopping sprees. [ie: a 10 pound bag of 256meg PC133 SDRAMM to go with the bulk coffee and industrial sized mouthwash]

another excellent example of good sales technique, is IKEA.

costco and ikea are both aimed primarily at people who are very busy, have no attention span, and little impulse control when it comes to shopping.

I may be speaking metaphorically, but it seems applicable to the first post about these insanely discounted hotel rooms and cheap gas... what happens when the american tourists come back to 80 cent gas and $500/night elite hotel rooms with crap service?

I'm curious as to who's agenda is served by a public SARS panic...

meanwhile I've already pre-booked a nice hotel room with a hot tub for the weekend of my birthday, may as well jump on opportunities when they come up.

apparently crisis and opportunity are the same word in chinese.

 

[Speedo]

Tell me this makes sense: They closed a southbond lane both Wednesday and Friday morning at 10am, creating havoc from the 401 all the way to the Bayview-Bloor exit. But then the whole thing is closed for the weekend. What could they have possibly done Wednesday and Friday that they couldn't have done over the weekend??

I don't know of a more screwed-up major city in North America for transportation woes. And Toronto wanted to host the Olympics !!

 

[CyberGoth]

ewww olympic chaos... NOOOOOOO

 

[submissivedave]

WE NEED MORE HIGHWAYS PERIOD !!!

Fuck, everytime I pass by the Fairview Mall on the highway ... its freaking congested ... is our tax dollars really at work ???

Ernie Eves ??? Are you on this board ??? We need more high ways, or at least better planned and organized highways !!!

 

[CyberGoth]

a light rapid transit system, along eglington would be good too... perhaps extend the bloor subway out to the airport or square one while we're at it?

the tory's days are numbered me thinks

 

[Alien (<>..<>)]

Re: marketing doublespeak makes my skin crawl

another excellent example of good sales technique, is IKEA.

costco and ikea are both aimed primarily at people who are very busy, have no attention span, and little impulse control when it comes to shopping.

Yah right. IKEA? Have you seen how expensive things are in that place? I think IKEA wants to be like INDIGO, sell books and $6 coffee and $3.50 donuts but in IKEA's case it will be selling overpriced coffee, burgers, and slurpees while selling overpriced furniture at the same time. NIce selling concept but not my cup of tea in these economic concious times.

 

[CyberGoth]

I've found Ikea to be incredibly useful, Costco as well. I like knowing what I'm getting for my money in a consistant manner.