Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Poundland - it's great!
Not a frequenter of pound shops, I wandered into the local Poundland. They sell EVERYTHING - food, stationery, toiletries - even reading glasses and tent pegs. All for astounding prices, (which I know probably means the people who made them were paid nothing). I have a feeling it's going to be quite a useful local shop - reminds me of Woollies.
Replies to This Discussion
-
Permalink Reply by james walsh on
-
It's called Parallel Trading:
Companies, either the manufacturer or the distributor, set different price points for their products in different markets. Parallel importers ordinarily purchase products in one country at a price (P1) which is cheaper than the price at which they are sold in a second country (P2), import the products into the second country, and sell the products in that country at a price which is usually between P1 and P2.
in a nutshell, the products in pound stores were originally destined for the 'third world' markets and are set for their consumers afforability (lower wholesale/retail price). They get put on a container bound for say, Pakistan. that container somehow finds it's way back to a port in western Europe, gets unloaded and finds its way to our high street 'pound shop'. I've never got to the bottom of the legality of this practice.
-
Permalink Reply by Claudia Clare on
-
God, this is fascinating! I want to know more now. Crikey, the things you learn on HOL!
-
Permalink Reply by Clive Carter on
-
In a nutshell, the products in pound stores were originally destined for the 'third world' markets and are set for their consumers afforability (lower wholesale/retail price).
This is another way of saying that manufacturers and retailers normally price their goods at (the most that) whatever the market will bear. Alternatively, that some retailers are ripping off British consumers and Poundland offers better, more competitive prices.
American computer and software manufacturers often price their wares in Sterling at significantly more than a simple exchange rate conversion would suggest - because the market here will bear it (there are less charitable ways of expressing that).
From consumers' point of view, competition that thwarts or gets around international rip-offs is a good thing. Those perpetrating the rip off will look to legal or contractual means to maintain the highest prices possible (i.e. companies or cartels threatening the parallel importers).
Us consumers in Blighty (AKA "Treasure Island" in some corporations) would probably be better off with more Poundlands.
See Rip off Britain (Wikipedia)
© 2024 Created by Hugh.
Powered by
