Why "everything" prices end in .99?

Seamus1964

Why is everything priced 9.99, 19.99, or 99.99? More specifically, why do all those prices end in .99? Why not just be honest and price them at 1, 10, and 100?
Fuel prices are just ridiculous with those extra .99 cent from cent e.g. €1.19.(99)

Firewalkwithme

It's simple consumer psychology really. 99 sounds better value than 100.

MadsL

Waterford appear to have solved that and banned 1c and 2c coins.

BrianJD

I work for a grocery chain and from customer feedback the policy now is to use rounded figures.

Seamus1964

MadsL wrote: »

Waterford appear to have solved that and banned 1c and 2c coins.

Did they now?

Karl Stein

€11.99? I'll take it.

Sorry there's been a mistake it's actually €12. Feck that, I'm not made of money.

MadsL

Seamus1964 wrote: »

Did they now?

Sorry Wexford...

http://www.thejournal.ie/wexford-rounding-up-trial-1085059-Sep2013/

Muff_Daddy

I've heard millions are made per year in retail from people not bothering to take their 1 penny change. If you think about it, how many times do you leave a shop after purchasing something for x.99, and not bothered taking the change? I know I've done it countless times.

That, plus advertising something as €199.99 just makes it seem more affordable than advertising something as €200. It's marketing 101.

Jesus Wept

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

It's simple consumer psychology really. 99 sounds better value than 100.

No it doesn't.

The Moldy Gowl

Muff_Daddy wrote: »

I've heard millions are made per year in retail from people not bothering to take their 1 penny change. If you think about it, how many times do you leave a shop after purchasing something for x.99, and not bothered taking the change? I know I've done it countless times.

That, plus advertising something as €199.99 just makes it seem more affordable than advertising something as €200. It's marketing 101.

I doubt that. To make 1 million this would have to be done 100 million times. So Ireland would need to sell 100 million things at .99 and hope no one wants their change back.

Everyone in Ireland would have to do this 22 times a year. That's just to make 1 million of just penny change
/pedantic

Birneybau

i heart chewy louie wrote: »

No it doesn't.

Well, if you say so.

The Moldy Gowl

i heart chewy louie wrote: »

No it doesn't.

99 is literally better value than 100

worded

I heard some of the reason was to stop workers at the tills pocketing the 10 rather the customer waits for their 1 cent change from the 9.99. it keeps the teller honest. No one thinks of this.

It's bull**** the amount of things priced to .99 particularly at my local fruit and veg shop. What's wrong with 1.19 or 1.29 or 1.39 for items. Why does everything have to end in .99 ?
I just don't shop there anymore I'm sol pissed off with it

Muff_Daddy

Gowlasauras Rex wrote: »

I doubt that. To make 1 million this would have to be done 100 million times. So Ireland would need to sell 100 million things at .99 and hope no one wants their change back.

Everyone in Ireland would have to do this 22 times a year. That's just to make 1 million of just penny change
/pedantic

Well you very well may be right, it could be B.S., its just something I've heard, but when I said millions, I wasn't talking about just Ireland, I was talking on a global scale.

blackwave

MadsL wrote: »

Sorry Wexford...

http://www.thejournal.ie/wexford-rounding-up-trial-1085059-Sep2013/

That was a trial by the Central Bank, to gauge consumer reaction to getting rid of 1c & 2c coins. A lot of EU countries actually have gotten rid of 1c & 2c coins as they cost more to mint than they are worth and are rarely used by anyone.

McDermotX

Keeps the pennies/cents in circulation. Simple as.

hfallada

worded wrote: »

I heard some of the reason was to stop workers at the tills pocketing the 10 rather the customer waits for their 1 cent change from the 9.99. it keeps the teller honest. No one thinks of this.

It's bull**** the amount of things priced to .99 particularly at my local fruit and veg shop. What's wrong with 1.19 or 1.29 or 1.39 for items. Why does everything have to end in .99 ?
I just don't shop there anymore I'm sol pissed off with it

What? Most shops have more cameras on a till than the whole store. The last shop I worked in had 4 cameras on the single till. No cashier is going to risk their job for a few cents a day.

If you buy several items the .01 evens out. Having worked in a shop. Very few transactions ended in .01 change

eug87

Makes cents.............leaves jacket,runs for the hills.

Akrasia

If you hear something is 1.99, your brain puts it in the 1 euro bracket along with everything else priced between 1 euro and 2 euros. If I see a packet of biscuits for 1.10, it's in the same mental category as biscuits that cost 1.99. (when on autopilot)

It's commonly used because it is ridiculously effective.

worded

hfallada wrote: »

What? Most shops have more cameras on a till than the whole store. The last shop I worked in had 4 cameras on the single till. No cashier is going to risk their job for a few cents a day.

If you buy several items the .01 evens out. Having worked in a shop. Very few transactions ended in .01 change

The .99 cent ending has been there for years pre camera and scanners even.
I heard this directly from a shop owner years ago. The primary reason was to stop theft by the cashier.

I'm taking about the cashier cancelling the same of a 10 pound sale and keeping all of it not them keeping the 1 cent of a 9.99 scenario.

The customer standing there expecting change keeps the cashier honest

colossus-x

In my mums day they used to get paid a penny a day at work. She's old now but psychologically a penny is a lot of money to her so a penny less is a big saving.



I just made that up.

fergiesfolly

Can anyone give a reasonable explanation as to why petrol/diesel prices always end in .9
Has always bugged the **** out of me

evo2000

Cartoon_Head wrote: »

It's simple consumer psychology really. 99 sounds better value than 100.

You d have to be as thick as the wall for that to work infairness...

Birneybau

eug87 wrote: »

Makes cents.............leaves jacket,runs for the hills.

I wasn't gonna thank it but then...I felt generous ; )

Senna

fergiesfolly wrote: »

Can anyone give a reasonable explanation as to why petrol/diesel prices always end in .9
Has always bugged the **** out of me

It's all physiological, makes the consumer think it's closer to 1 than 2 (or 9 then 10 etc).
Its really simple reasoning and it is proven time and time again to work.

efb

This corner unit is now THREE NINE NINE!!!
this grinds my gears its three hundred and ninety nine!!!

worded

I'm refusing to buy anything that ends in .99 from now on.
Who's with me on this? Even 99%

evo2000

worded wrote: »

I'm refusing to buy anything that ends in .99 from now on.
Who's with me on this? Even 99%

i give em the euro and tell em keep the change just to spite it!

Juwwi

evo2000 wrote: »

i give em the euro and tell em keep the change just to spite it!

Why do you leave out the " ya filthy animal " bit

diomed

It's from the song 1999
"tonight I'm gonna party like it's €19.99"

jimmii

evo2000 wrote: »

i give em the euro and tell em keep the change just to spite it!

You seem like the crazy rebel type who doesn't play by the rules.