What is the point of $0.50 price drop? - Blu-ray Forum

robchow · 09-02-2009, 09:13 PM

I was skimming through the Latest Deals and notice that The Bourne Trilogy and Man on Fire drop by $0.50. For Bourne, dropping $0.50 from $72.99 to $72.49 is not going to make me purchase it. The same goes with Man on Fire ($19.99 vs. $19.49). The price is not sufficient to make me even ponder a purchase. Can someone explain to me why Amazon bothers with $0.50 drop in price?

Batman1980 · 09-02-2009, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robchow

I was skimming through the Latest Deals and notice that The Bourne Trilogy and Man on Fire drop by $0.50. For Bourne, dropping $0.50 from $72.99 to $72.49 is not going to make me purchase it. The same goes with Man on Fire ($19.99 vs. $19.49). The price is not sufficient to make me even ponder a purchase. Can someone explain to me why Amazon bothers with $0.50 drop in price?

If you like Out of Time, I would recommend getting that 2 movie combo for like $27 total.

Oh and I got Man on Fire for $14 since I got it in the last B2G1 "sale" they had.

BurningFire333 · 09-02-2009, 09:29 PM

I've often wondered the same thing. It seems extremely pointless to drop the price of an item $0.50. Amazon definitely isn't going to increase sales quantities by doing so; they're only going to lose $0.50 on each sale that they would've made anyway.

Along those lines, I just noticed something odd about myself. A $0.50 off discount seems like nothing to me, but once an item is discounted $1 (especially the low-end Blus going from $13.99 to $12.99) I take notice. Anyone else do this? Sort of ridiculous, huh? lol

Clark Kent · 09-02-2009, 09:37 PM

Amazon uses a very complex algorithm to determine pricing on most of their items, which is implemented by a computer. A human is not sitting somewhere deciding to drop Bourne by fifty cents. Many of their items, if you track them over the course of several months, have small variations in pricing.

jw · 09-02-2009, 11:13 PM

My opinion, I believe they have thousands of people tracking prices, that these incremental price drops send out alerts and gander traffic to the site. I am not saying they buy that product, but while there they may buy something

If so, Its very smart marketing

BurningFire333 · 09-03-2009, 02:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwbbud

My opinion, I believe they have thousands of people tracking prices, that these incremental price drops send out alerts and gander traffic to the site. I am not saying they buy that product, but while there they may buy something

If so, Its very smart marketing

That's a very interesting idea. I agree with you: if that is the reason they're doing it, it sure seems like a solid reason for doing so.

franklinpross · 09-03-2009, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robchow

I was skimming through the Latest Deals and notice that The Bourne Trilogy and Man on Fire drop by $0.50. For Bourne, dropping $0.50 from $72.99 to $72.49 is not going to make me purchase it. The same goes with Man on Fire ($19.99 vs. $19.49). The price is not sufficient to make me even ponder a purchase. Can someone explain to me why Amazon bothers with $0.50 drop in price?

50 cents. It still is a savings. Now you can buy a Daily News. It's like free...

dash · 09-03-2009, 07:37 PM

sometimes to make you buy more...for instance if they dropped 2 BD titles that you wanted to purchase from 12.99 to 12.49 and you dont have prime, you're "forced" to buy another item to get over $25 to get free shipping. just a theory.

drtre81 · 09-10-2009, 03:57 AM

people complain about price drops now?

Clark Kent · 09-11-2009, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drtre81

people complain about price drops now?

I do not really see anyone complaining about price drops. Amazon also does the converse and will raise prices at various times in small increments. The price changes also act as triggers to the various price crawlers that track Amazon's prices.

kwayneg · 09-18-2009, 04:48 AM

when go to websites like amazon this is what happens. Lets say 100 people look at the blu ray torchwood over a short period of time, it shows interest so they raise the price and they assume most of those people are shopping around for the best price, so when you go back to the site voila the price has now gone up, now on the same note lets say no one shows interest in the item for a long period of time, lets say 2 months. Go back to the site and you usually find it for a more reasonable price. COOKIES do more than hold your place they track you also

09-02-2009, 09:37 PM	#4
Clark Kent Blu-ray Prince Top contributor Member since:Oct 2007 Location:Metropolis Blu-ray reviews:2 Trading Score:184 Timezone GMT: -5	Amazon uses a very complex algorithm to determine pricing on most of their items, which is implemented by a computer. A human is not sitting somewhere deciding to drop Bourne by fifty cents. Many of their items, if you track them over the course of several months, have small variations in pricing. Last edited by Clark Kent; 09-02-2009 at 09:45 PM.

09-18-2009, 04:48 AM	#11
kwayneg Active Member Member since:Jul 2007 Blu-ray collection:694 Blu-ray reviews:1 Timezone GMT: -6	we are the reason for price fluctuation when go to websites like amazon this is what happens. Lets say 100 people look at the blu ray torchwood over a short period of time, it shows interest so they raise the price and they assume most of those people are shopping around for the best price, so when you go back to the site voila the price has now gone up, now on the same note lets say no one shows interest in the item for a long period of time, lets say 2 months. Go back to the site and you usually find it for a more reasonable price. COOKIES do more than hold your place they track you also

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09-02-2009, 09:29 PM	#3
BurningFire333 Senior Member Member since:Sep 2008 Location:Southern Indiana Blu-ray collection:463 DVD collection:56 Blu-ray reviews:1 Trading Score:103 Timezone GMT: -6	I've often wondered the same thing. It seems extremely pointless to drop the price of an item $0.50. Amazon definitely isn't going to increase sales quantities by doing so; they're only going to lose $0.50 on each sale that they would've made anyway. Along those lines, I just noticed something odd about myself. A $0.50 off discount seems like nothing to me, but once an item is discounted $1 (especially the low-end Blus going from $13.99 to $12.99) I take notice. Anyone else do this? Sort of ridiculous, huh? lol

09-02-2009, 11:13 PM	#5
jw Blu-ray Archduke Top contributor Member since:Apr 2007 Location:USA Trading Score:519 Timezone GMT: -5	My opinion, I believe they have thousands of people tracking prices, that these incremental price drops send out alerts and gander traffic to the site. I am not saying they buy that product, but while there they may buy something If so, Its very smart marketing

09-03-2009, 07:37 PM	#8
dash Expert Member Member since:Apr 2009 Blu-ray collection:611 Trading Score:1 Timezone GMT: -8	sometimes to make you buy more...for instance if they dropped 2 BD titles that you wanted to purchase from 12.99 to 12.49 and you dont have prime, you're "forced" to buy another item to get over $25 to get free shipping. just a theory.

09-10-2009, 03:57 AM	#9
drtre81 Blu-ray Guru Member since:Feb 2009 Blu-ray collection:110 Timezone GMT: 0	people complain about price drops now?

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