Have you realised how many outlets put so many tempting right next to their check out? Well, the whole purpose besides point of purchase displays is that they work on your base desires. It’s called impulse buying; the urge to buy something you hadn’t originally planned to purchase and a lot of retailers make use of this to boost their sales. So, whether it’s chocolates, booze or cigarettes down at your convenience store, or pretty knick knacks at the haberdashery,…
The GPS market is an example of how market leaders cannot sit on their laurels. If you had to ask someone who the leaders in the GPS field were six months ago, they would have mentioned Garmin and TomTom. However, a few months ago, Google entered the market offering free turn-by-turn navigation on their phones, followed by Nokia giving away navigation software for their phones. Have a look at Garmin’s 6 month stock graph and see if you can spot…
This recession has dealt a fatal blow to a number of different companies all around the globe. But it’s interesting to see that some sectors are effected more than others. For example, companies that use lots of gearing are particularly exposed to this climate, as money is in short supply. Companies producing real goods are less exposed, but again; it depends on what they are selling. Companies operating in niche markets, like low cost items like bags, or high value…
Image by elston via Flickr There’s a lot in the news today about the profit that energy companies are making. Now, while it’s fine for companies to make profit, the man in the street takes a dim view of companies that make exorbitant profit and his expense. And this is just how this energy profit is seen. Wholesale prices have dropped, while retail prices have stayed pretty much level and consumers are feeling cheated by what has happened. Perception is…
Was thinking this morning about how a lot of the world’s problems are about the irregular distribution of resources. I’m not talking about how wealth is distributed, I’m a capitalist at heart; but rather how the world’s resources are cause of war, famine and all sorts of other ills. It sort of hit me while watching TV and saw an advert trying to raise funds for a charity that helps starving children, while here I am trying to stick to…
I just came across an interesting article that points out that Americans are cheating more on their tax return than they used to in the past. 13% of those surveyed said cheating is acceptable, according to an annual poll conducted for the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board. That’s up 4% from 2008. 4% percent of Americans said they cheat on their taxes “as much as possible,” up 1% from the year before. They’re interesting statistics, but worrying ones for tax…