We have all experienced the rush of adrenalin associated with the realization that we are about to buy something that has been discounted. Our culture cherishes the notion of a discount via a sale or clearance. The quality of the merchandise or service is seemingly no match for the price. Coupons flow from every crevice of our mailboxes and newspapers. Our names and addresses are sold and resold to advertisers with a panderer’s delight. Consequently we find ourselves fishing through a stack of .10 cent tuna fish coupons to get to the real mail. Or are the coupons the real mail? We are, ostensibly, in the holds of a discount fetish.
An analysis of our current state of discount addiction is in order. In recent years more and more discount exclusive businesses have surfaced. How many of you have been to a .99 cent store? They represent what could be referred to as the extreme of our discount culture. Costume necklaces, stale bread and off brands litter the aisles where disciples of discount peruse. How many of us have been caught in the .99 cent trap? Radio and television remind us that we must take advantage of all things .99 cents. Hamburgers and tacos are at the top of this list as the toxic mix of food and discounts are rehabilitated as good and desirable. Our conditioned state is affected by the mere mention of a sale, by the idea of getting a superior deal.
As technology advances, our culture adapts. Online businesses are using discounts to attract customers. Emails have replaced coupon flyers. Discounts now tantalize us from our desktops. Clothes, jewelry and music are some of the more popular categories for the taking, as it were. Customer information is traded, bought and sold like commodities. After all, a good email list combined with the claim of massive discounts can generate a windfall of cash for a struggling business. 25% off, 50%, 1000%, do we really know the difference? The smart shopper will not trust the salesman’s claims. Instead they will do their homework and comparison shop. But many of us don’t have the time or inclination to do so. We would rather trust the retailer as we expect not to be lied to as a common courtesy of doing business.
The idea of a society developing a discount fetish is certainly not new or necessarily bad. The .99 cent store may serve those who are in dire straits economically. Competition for customers keeps discounts rolling and brings prices down, generally. Consumerism remains high stimulating business, which in turn benefits our national economy. It can be argued that a discount fetish is conceivably a healthy development. So why not embrace this side of ourselves. It can be stated that it is our duty as loyal participants in this nation to clutch our coupons and raise them high, while continuing to search for the next good deal.