Crack, nobody likes to be ripped off, that is a given. The theory of pricing of goods is a bit more complex than this forum, but simply the "correct" price from a sellers point of view is the maximum that the buyer will pay. That price shouldl be above the total cost of the goods in order to stay in business. Now part of the cost structure is the cost of the capital tied up in the goods on the shop floor. Each day that goes by the cost of the sunk capital increases. Now to improve cash flow and liquidate the asset (goods)the seller would lower the price to move the goods quickly and convert the goods into cash. Profit low or negative, but cashflow high. From the buyers point of view the correct price is the lowest that delivers the correct quality goods at the desired convenience. So my garage shop charges R32 for my smokes against the R28 at Makro. I pay the R32 as a premium for the convenience of shopping at 8pm close to my home. No price fixing, just convenience of buying the same product. Bikes, cars, solar heaters, laptops,iphones all just products that need to be moved. We have a choice that we make all the time, pay a premium for something that we really want, like the iphone4 at midnight tonight, or get a R200 brick that is still after all just a phone. But you may look cooler with and iphone4, if that is what blows your mind. But to feel happier, lets all stop bitching and moaning, and just make the choice and live with it.
