I DON"T WANT another DAMNED card in order to "save money" at your store!

[Kimballkid]

Did you ever stop to think that the reason your ‘message’ isn’t getting across is not the fault of the audience but because you do a shitty job of explaining it? Drop all the flowery language and $10 words and actually explain what your ‘message’ is.

BTW, I chose my username for a very specific reason not having anything to do with currently being a kid.

[black_rabbit]

@NitroPress

A good thought, but probably not true. Possibly some time in the past stores used it to anticpate purchases, but in current usages, the stores themselves (at least as individual units) don’t use the information at all.

Cite? Tesco is the largest shareholder in Dunhumby EU, and they invented the retail loyalty card. Kroger is the largest shareholder in Dunhumby US. Given how thin the margins are in the grocery business, why wouldn’t they use every tool at their disposal to wring every last inefficiency out of ordering algorithms?

Fnord.

[Inner_Stickler]

I think he meant stores in the sense of physical locations and that they’re not being sent the aggregate data for inventory purposes.

As for the rest of his posts, talk is cheap. I’ve heard a lot about a book that’s going to be the marketing equivalent of the atom bomb. I will be keeping an eye out for it but I’m not taking a random internet poster at their word, especially when they are recalcitrant to say the least when it comes to offering up any sort of real information on the topic.

[Justin_Bailey]

Yes, I think it does do harm - to individuals, families, communities and nations - to entice people into buying things they don’t really need and would not have bought without the enticement. This goes far beyond luring someone to buy one brand of ketchup or car over another; it has to do more with getting people to spend every loose dollar on some goddamned thing - anything, useful or not, well-made or trash, even something invented by the marketing department with no better purpose except to extract dollars. We’ve built a vastly overheated global economy shipping shit from one corner to another, for no purpose except to line the pockets of those who lay awake nights inventing new niches money can be extracted from.

[SamJackson]English motherfucker, do you speak it?[/SamJackson]

Good god, man/woman! I want SPECIFICS! SPE-CIF-ICS! Who is doing this and, more importantly, what are they doing? What are they doing that makes people want to spend more than you believe they should spend? And why do you get to decide how much is too much?

I think that anyone who dismisses this concept because they believe all judgment and responsibility is 100% on the individual buyer is wrong (and probably self-deluded on the point). It is not only some stereotypical “stupid shopper” who is manipulated in this way. We have been generationally brainwashed into perceiving the world the way the marketing world wants us to see it; making poor choices is the best most of us can do.

What are they manipulating? The taste of some foodstuffs? The feel of the fabric? Is there drugs in the food? Does it make us want more? Are you saying the sweet smell of chocolate is some manipulating effect handed down by the ghost of Milton Hershey to line the pockets of some fatcat counting his dollar bills during the factory tour?

But seriously, who is doing this manipulation? Anonymous marketers? Some cabal of SPECTRE supervillains? The gangsters who employ our good friend Jules?

And where does the brainwashing come in? How do they want us to see the world? Are you telling me 90-97% of all teenage boys get a funny feeling in their pants when Kate Upton comes on TV because of THE EVUL MARKETERZ? Is that what you’re saying? What are you saying?

Even what the smug reader of Consumer Reports will trumpet as a smart, smart buy can get pretty stupid-looking if you take one more step back. (Have you ever noticed that CR and most other “consumer advocates” never, ever take the position that you should not buy ANY product?)

Why in god’s name would they? Consumer Reports is a magazine that attempts to answer the question “I want to buy a TV/washing machine/laptop/car, which TV/washing machine/laptop/car should I buy?” People reading CR have already decided they’re going to spend money. The magazine’s entire mission is helping them decide which one is best. Note that CR doesn’t just pick the best item regardless of price, they list items that are good for their price range helping all sorts of consumers NOT spend every last penny.

I am dead-set against companies and entire industries that exist only to feed on a paying population, though, and the collective mindset that people exist to buy shit - all the shit they can possibly earn, borrow or steal money to buy, their whole lives long, and that the amount of shit you buy in any way defines you as a person.

Aside from the wet dreams of commercial directors, does anyone think this way? And what does “feed” mean? You’re creating a supervillain who can control our thoughts and then telling us that we’re powerless to stop ourselves from being controlled. Then you berate us for being controlled.

And I am deeply appalled at the degree to which people, even - and perhaps especially - those who smugly claim they are free souls, directed and influenced by no one, buy into this concept as their foundational lifestyle.

But you’re the one special snowflake who can rise above it all and attempt to educate us sheep. BAH BAAAAHHHHH BAH BAHHHHHHHHHHH <- That’s sheepese for “bite me.”

** Give me five minutes of honest thought with as much self-deception set aside as you can manage, and think this through: What aspects of your life do not stand on a foundation of earning as much as you can to acquire as much as you can over the span of your life? And who told you that was a valid basis for a life, and why?**

This was useful enough before… [SamJackson]English motherfucker, do you speak it?[/SamJackson]

Or more politely, what exactly are you trying to say? I honestly don’t understand.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Inner_Stickler

what is this i don’t even
You understand that a company has to make money right? They don’t run on hope and friendship. Unless you’re advocating for some sort of cap on profit percentages, what exactly, do you want to be done about companies making more profits?

I thought about this some more on my walk today, and I have come up with this - unrelenting chasing after profits at the cost of everything else is one of the reasons why the world is in the shape it’s in. What do I want done about it? I want rich people to be more responsible and not take more than their share. I also want a transporter in my living room - I’m not holding my breath for either one.

[Amateur_Barbarian]

@Inner_Stickler

I’ve heard a lot about a book that’s going to be the marketing equivalent of the atom bomb.

Almost certainly nothing to do with what I’m doing. Every few years some burned out or drug-epiphanied ex-Madison Avenue type writes the Big Tell All or something. They’re amusing.

I can’t think of an avenue by which you’d have heard of this, honestly. And you’re perfectly welcome to think I’m blowing some combination of hot air and bullshit; I probably would, too.

Catch you on the flip side.

[Inner_Stickler]

Tsk, tsk. These sort of games make you look small.

@NitroPress

This might be a good place to note, for both those interested and the cadre that follows me from topic to topic to make snide remarks about old threads, that I have a solution formulated, and hope to unveil it before summer. Consider this the equivalent of hearing something about a new kind of bomb in the spring of '45.

[gigi]

@KermitTheFrig

Looking for a bag of chocolate Easter eggs a couple of weeks ago at a chain pharmacy. Tags on the shelf: Regular price $4.99–Price with Our Card $2.59. REALLY?? I walked out of the store and bought them across the street where I got them for $2.69 with no card at all.

So you spent extra time and energy to pay more for something?!

[Fear_Itself]

Exchange with supermarket checker today:

Checker: Do you have our Advantage card?

Me: No.

Checker: That’s OK, I’ll scan the manager’s card.

Me: Thank you.

Checker: You saved $2.69 today.

Me: [del] Damn you to Hell for saving me money! [/del] Thanks!

[Lynn_Bodoni]

@Cat_Whisperer

I thought about this some more on my walk today, and I have come up with this - unrelenting chasing after profits at the cost of everything else is one of the reasons why the world is in the shape it’s in. What do I want done about it? I want rich people to be more responsible and not take more than their share. I also want a transporter in my living room - I’m not holding my breath for either one.

Actually, you DON’T want a transporter in your living room. You want the transporter in a room that locks from the outside, so people can’t transport right into your living room. I mean, there are some people who love to drop in on you with no notice, and there are burglars, to name two of the people that you don’t want to show up when you’re having Hot Monkey Sex. Especially if there’s a monkey involved.

But yeah, this isn’t something that we’re going to have to worry about in the near future.

[Kenm]

@Lynn_Bodoni

You want the transporter in a room that locks from the outside, so people can’t transport right into your living room.

Yeah. One TV is enough.

[furdmort]

@zweisamkeit

Wait, you mean you don’t need a smartphone that’s solely dedicated to keeping all your loyalty card barcodes? SHIT. Next you’ll tell me I don’t need a separate smartphone for each separate task I need to do. Boy, do I feel dumb.

furdmort and smiling bandit, I’m guessing you guys intended to come across as savvy and astute, but you basically showed more that you don’t really know how smartphone apps work. enalzi got it right on the nose.

Sorry, wanker. I actually write apps for Android. I’m quite aware of what you can do and what you can’t - and that most users give any app all the rights they request because people just can’t be bothered to acutally think about that kind of crap.

[Cat_Whisperer]

@Lynn_Bodoni

Actually, you DON’T want a transporter in your living room. You want the transporter in a room that locks from the outside, so people can’t transport right into your living room. I mean, there are some people who love to drop in on you with no notice, and there are burglars, to name two of the people that you don’t want to show up when you’re having Hot Monkey Sex. Especially if there’s a monkey involved.

But yeah, this isn’t something that we’re going to have to worry about in the near future.

Hmm, good point. Okay, how about a transporter in my garage? That seem appropriate.

[Zeriel]

I want to address something that really wasn’t from a few days ago.

@Amateur_Barbarian

** Give me five minutes of honest thought with as much self-deception set aside as you can manage, and think this through: What aspects of your life do not stand on a foundation of earning as much as you can to acquire as much as you can over the span of your life? And who told you that was a valid basis for a life, and why?**

I can’t think of a single thing I do that’s solely to earn and spend as much as I can. I live in a tiny house, chose a job specifically because I enjoy it (the fact that it keeps me nicely supplied with the couple of types of toys I enjoy having is not relevant to why I keep doing it), and spend most of my free time playing games with my toddler that generally involve a ball or a sheet of drawing paper.

I think you’ve got an idea in your head that doesn’t match the reality of life for a lot of people, and that’s as much responsible for the pushback you’re getting as the fact that I don’t think you could explain to Joe Average how to pour out water out of a boot. (“I’m working on something that’s basically going to be the '45 of footwear dehydration. You’ll be hearing about it quite soon.”)

[PunditLisa]

I agree with the folks who are more bothered about having to carry another loyalty card than with having their purchases tracked. However, since I discovered that just every store can retrieve my loyalty number with my email address or phone number, I’ve since abandoned carrying around a suitcase with me every time I venture out.

[Darth_Panda]

@Amateur_Barbarian

I am dead-set against companies and entire industries that exist only to feed on a paying population, though, and the collective mindset that people exist to buy shit - all the shit they can possibly earn, borrow or steal money to buy, their whole lives long, and that the amount of shit you buy in any way defines you as a person.

Dead-set against it in the sense you want to outlaw it, or just think it sucks and don’t want to participate in it?

In my mind, these are very different things.

As to your question - my desire to make a lot of money (and I definitely let that drive part of my life) is based on my desire to travel. I just think the world is interesting.

[Enright3]

@TriPolar

One retailer (Penny’s?) recently tried a ‘No sales, everyday low price’ strategy and it failed miserably. I usually ignore this type of thing, except at Harbor Freight. In that case I’m throwing away the money so I figure I should throw away less of it.

Yep it was J.C. Penney and their CEO just got fired over it.

J.C. Penney ousts CEO Ron Johnson, brings back his predecessor

[Leaper]

@Cat_Whisperer

A cap on profits? Sure, why not? Why do people need more money than they can possibly spend?

Wait, are you advocating a cap on profits or salaries, compensation, and investment returns? Because the former has nothing to do with “people” having more money.

[sidhechaos]

@missred

They do track your purchases with your info. I use a Kroger card (parent company of Fry’s and a number of others) that gives me discounts on gas at their stations and Shell. It also alerts me to any recalled products that I have purchased recently (this is especially important, as that is where I get prescriptions filled).

They don’t mail me anything, although I’ve not changed any of my registration info over several address, phone number and e-mail changes, with the prescription info, they have the home address and a phone number. The only time I hear from them is when I have a pick up ready at the pharmacy.

I fill up my tank there about once a month for cheap. I spend somewhat less there than I used to at WalMart, more because I don’t have $100 worth of crap in my buggy before I ever get to the grocery end.

my kroger card does me one better, about five times a year I get a packet of coupons (15 to 20 of them) for considerable savings and in some cases FREE most heavily purchased items, plus the recall notices and savings on gas. I’m not going to knock free groceries, especially free hagen daz!

CVS on the other hand can shove their overpriced bullshit and cvs points which can only be spent on stupid shit I don’t buy anyway right up their ass, sideways.

[sidhechaos]

@zweisamkeit

Wait, you mean you don’t need a smartphone that’s solely dedicated to keeping all your loyalty card barcodes? SHIT. Next you’ll tell me I don’t need a separate smartphone for each separate task I need to do. Boy, do I feel dumb.

furdmort and smiling bandit, I’m guessing you guys intended to come across as savvy and astute, but you basically showed more that you don’t really know how smartphone apps work. enalzi got it right on the nose.

and then there are those of us who can barely afford a burner phone, much less a freaking smart phone. How smart is it realyy to pay $100+ a month just so you can have internets on a screen so tiny you can barely see and a keyboard that is causing people to have hand injuries from using? I’ll stick to cheap phone and internets at home on a reasonable sized computer.