Don't buy CD's from supermarkets.Please.

by sleepy 36 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  funkyderek

  Tesco's subsadize their CD sales and make up on the price of your grocceries.

  It seems unlikely that Tesco would impose a "tax" on their most commonly bought items in order to allow them to sell another item at cost price or at a loss. It would be very strange business practice for them to introduce a new product line, that they know isn't going to make them any money, and in the process raise the prices of their "bread and butter" products (excuse the pun) In fact, if your business model is correct, the best thing for you to do would be to buy all your CDs at Tesco and buy your groceries at another supermarket. This would force Tesco to go out of business, leaving all the small expensive music shops there to take up the slack.

  You actually pay the same.

  If I buy a CD in Tesco for 9.99, then, no, I'm not paying the same as if I paid 14.99 for it. I'm getting it cheaper. Really cheaper. It's actually, verifiably, costing me less in Tesco. That's a fiver in my pocket rather than in someone else's.

  An independant CD store need to make more money on a CD than tesco as he doesn't make his money on grocceries, and has higher overheads

  I don't consider need to be a valid claim on my money.

  His range of product actually make his CD's BETTER value, as when you buy them you are garenteing future choice for YOURSELF. If you buy cheap and independants go out off business then you are killing the wide advaiability of music to YOURSELF.

  His range of products makes his business viable. If he's selling products that aren't available elsewhere, then he's providing a useful service. If he's selling something I can get cheaper elsewhere, then that is NOT better value.

  Cd's are not that expensive anyway, even if they could be a few pounds cheaper.

  You've obviously got more disposable income than me. It's really beside the point, anyway.

  All I'm saying is that our desire for cheapness may cost in the future if we cause small shops with good choice to close.
  
  Why is this wrong?

  It's not wrong. It may be unfortunate, but it's not wrong for failing businesses to go bust. That's what they do. If you can't compete on price, you compete on quality. If you can't compete on price or quality, then you can't compete.

  Small business do deserve to survive for many reasons , most of all the greater quality they often offer, along with personnal service.

  In a free market, small businesses "deserve to survive" if and only if they make a profit. If you're willing to pay extra for a service they provide, so be it. But consumers don't owe them anything.

  I wonder how many here would try to buy something as cheap as possible and then if they sell try to get as much as they can, but when someone else offers them something for sale that seams higher than you think it should be, you think they are ripping you off?

  Buy low, sell high. It's the first rule of business. The second is: "If you don't want it, don't buy it." That way nobody gets ripped off.

  Edited by - funkyderek on 9 September 2002 12:38:44
• 

  ballistic

  Musicians like to produce their best and there will always be a market for music. Groups that admit to doing it for the money are the exception, trying to shock. 100 other groups would readily fill their shoes for nothing if they had the opportunity.

  If music will degenerate as you suggest to some low quality denominator, someone else will come along and wipe the floor with something better.
• 

  Xander

  Small businesses don't have a right to survive, and I certainly won't waste my money propping up someone else's uncompetitive business.

  Exactly true!

  Many of the 'anti-big-business' arguments rely on that 'but small businesses will be driven out'. So what! If they can't remain competitive, it IS better for the consumer that they go!

  you buy CD's from a supermarket because they are cheaper and your local independants store (if you have any) goes out of business because of it ,then you will no longer be able to buy the music you want

  That's hardly true. And do you know WHY I can tell you it isn't true? Because the music *I* want to listen to ISN'T sold in the small, 'independant' stores.

  I can go to shows and buy the CDs. Or I can buy them online.

  I think those avenues will become more and more common REGARDLESS of what supermarkets due - because the music industry ITSELF is working to push the unique acts to the sidelines.

  may cost in the future if we cause small shops with good choice to close

  It won't (cost in the future) if for no other reason than that there are always alternatives.
• 

  sleepy

  All the aurgumants have missed the point.

  All these I want it cheaper arguments , are just showing the greed of YOU and shortsightedness.

  The Tesco point was not that they cover the extra Fiver on other goods but that they do not need to make as much on CD's because they sell other goods.

  At the end of the day YOU lose out if in the future only supermarkets sell CD's and the choice is very small.

  Small businesses don't have a right to survive, and I certainly won't waste my money propping up someone else's uncompetitive business.

  This is so flawed it's unbelieveable.The independant is not uncompetative but has it business taken over by someone who doesn't need to make a profit on that good and uses it to get people in store to buy other things.This is not competative but monopolising the exact OPPOSITE.

  "His range of products makes his business viable. If he's selling products that aren't available elsewhere, then he's providing a useful service. If he's selling something I can get cheaper elsewhere, then that is NOT better value. "

  You CARNT get it cheaper else where as tesco etc. only sell CHART CD's.So this point is crap.
• 

  sleepy

  By the way my local independant shop charges the same or sometimes less than Tescos, but has a far far wider choice but is in real danger of being put out of business as its most profitalbe lines are chart CD's the only ones Tescos sell.How will this be good for local people if it is put out of business?How will this be good for local bands who sell through that shop?
• 

  BoozeRunner

  Gee, I buy blank CD's as low as 20 cents. Mass production record companies obviously get them even cheaper. It seems that $14.99 is a high price to pay. I think the artists are getting screwed more by record companies than by consumers buying cheapo Cd's.

  As for the independant specialty cd stores, I believe their niche is assured.

  just my $.02

  Boozy
• 

  funkyderek

  The independant is not uncompetative but has it business taken over by someone who doesn't need to make a profit on that good and uses it to get people in store to buy other things.This is not competative but monopolising the exact OPPOSITE

  No, that's competition. Businesses have been doing it for centuries. People are in business to make money. If they can make money by selling an item for less than their competitors, then that's what they do. If they can make money selling at a higher price, then you'd better believe they'll do that. Again, need is irrelevant. People who need my business don't deserve it any more than those who don't

  "His range of products makes his business viable. If he's selling products that aren't available elsewhere, then he's providing a useful service. If he's selling something I can get cheaper elsewhere, then that is NOT better value. "
  
  You CARNT get it cheaper else where as tesco etc. only sell CHART CD's.So this point is crap.

  My point is precisely that the independent shop is selling products that you can't buy elsewhere. That's how they can survive, by specialising, by selling products that nobody else is selling. A shop that only sells the same goods at higher prices will soon deservedly go out of business. If you want to subsidise a failing business, then go ahead. But don't expect other people to be as generous as you.

  By the way my local independant shop charges the same or sometimes less than Tescos, but has a far far wider choice but is in real danger of being put out of business as its most profitalbe lines are chart CD's the only ones Tescos sell.

  Maybe you should suggest that they deal more with specialist music than chart music. If they mainly sell chart music with a very low profit margin, they're going to have trouble competing. Most of the independent music stores I know rarely even touch chart CDs. They charge high prices for hard-to-get items and probably make a healthy profit doing so.