Slow day for Gamecock news, so I bring you stupid news: Wendy's to introduce surge pricing
- Thread starter 18IsTheMan
- Start date
I think people are more willing to pay exorbitant prices for food and drink at sporting events, movie theaters, and theme parks because it's a relatively rare and "special" event and the consumer knows going into it that it's a captured market. It's a matter of expectations.
What has irked me recently is the price of soft drinks at casual dining establishments. $3.95 for a glass of Diet Coke? I realize they are trying to make money where they can to keep food prices as low as possible, but I'd prefer they just raise their food prices rather than insult my intelligence by charging me $4 for 12 ounces of Coke. Plus, I can see the food prices on the menu when I place my order. Drink orders are usually taken before customers have even been handed a menu. So, lately, I've just been ordering water which is (still) usually free. At least in my case, the jacked-up drink prices caused me to spend less at the restaurant than I would have otherwise.
When it comes to soft drinks in restaurants, I always drink more than I would ordinarily drink during a meal for that very reason. I figure if I get three refills, that’s basically a dollar a glass, which you obviously are still overpaying compared to what you would be paying at the grocery store, but one dollar for a glass of soda at a restaurant is pretty reasonable.
No joke there. Where I am outside of DC, it's basically $10 for a 12-pack of Coke products at the grocery store. Walmart is $7.50.
Is there anything in grocery stores that hasn't? I've quit looking at prices. If I did I wouldn't buy anything and would starve.
Chick-fil-A drive thru is always at peak hours - even with the upgrade to double drive thru lines.
And their prices have risen accordingly. lol
Yes, CFA is like Disney World now in that there is never an "off-peak" time. More power to them, though - they have figured out the secret formula that the other fast food places have yet to discover.
Yes, I'd gladly pay $1.95 for a soft drink in a restaurant, which leaves plenty of room for a healthy profit for the establishment. But they have crept up to $2.95 and even $3.95 and that's a bridge too far for me.
It was nearly $50 last time we took the family out to eat, and that was with 3 kids meals.
The article is written as if they are trying to completely margin up, when what it will result in is slightly heightened margins but likely not much more revenue, as it will help pay for more employees having to be in the building to keep up with demand.
Also - they are testing this. That means it will be in maybe a couple hundred stores or it already has been tested and has been successful.
Pay $10 for a McDonald's meal any time of the day
or
Pay $11.50 for a Wendy's meal at lunch and $9 at an off hour.
Also - they are testing this. That means it will be in maybe a couple hundred stores or it already has been tested and has been successful.
Pay $10 for a McDonald's meal any time of the day
or
Pay $11.50 for a Wendy's meal at lunch and $9 at an off hour.
Aaaaaaaaaand they backtracked already: https://qz.com/wendys-surge-pricing-burgers-uber-dynamic-pricing-1851292583
Is seat licensing still a thing? I recall when we first unveiled that. Sure seemed like just another way to shake down the fans.
Yep, it is still a thing and it will not be going away. It is the industry standard everywhere. It is not, nor has it ever been just a USC thing. They do it for Baseball season tickets also.
Yeah, I knew it was everywhere. Just didn't know if stuck or had been rebranded or something else or what.
I just look at it as part of the cost of getting my tickets and it is still worth the cost for me.
Sure. Like anything, it's up to the consumer to determine if it's worth the cost. I just don't see the silliness of creating a label for it. Just say "we're charging you $x more." Kind of like the silly "document fee" car dealers charge.
That should already be accounted for in their base price.....and it is unless you haven't noticed the increase in fast food pricing over the past 5-10 years.
Right. Labor cost is already factored into the cost of the food.
....and they have significatly reduced the size of their sandwiches also. If you buy a Baconator today, you are not getting anywhere near the same Baconator from 5-7 years ago. They are making money.....just want a whole lot more of it.
We had hit the big-time! 
Soft drinks have always been major profit items for restaurants, but prices have gotten ridiculous - and some want to charge you for water when you try to avoid the soft drink subsidy. Crazy!
Gotta collect more revenue to pay those high salaries.
You can still buy a McDonalds hamburger and small drink for less than $5.
You can still buy a McDonalds hamburger and small drink for less than $5.
Here's what a fast-food burger cost the year you were born
The prices of burgers from your favorite fast food chains have changed a lot over the years. Here's what fast-food burgers cost every year on average since the year you were born.
www.businessinsider.com
Actually it is comparable. Although there is the same supply of food, there is a limited supply of time to serve it. Time is money too. Competition for the fast food buck is fierce.Food prices would fluctuate throughout the day.
Wendy’s planning Uber-style ‘surge pricing’ where burger prices fluctuate based on demand
With the dynamic pricing model, the chain’s iconic Dave’s Single could increase by as much as $1 at lunchtime and drop down by the same amount after the lunch rush.nypost.com
On the surface, it sounds so horribly stupid. But we live in a stupid society. Heaven help us if this were to inexplicably catch on.
Comparisons are made to the Uber model, but that's obviously based on the fact that there are limited number of cars at any given time. Times of higher demand means fewer cars to go around. That's not at all comparable to a restaurant. They have the same amount of food around, no matter how busy or slow it is. I guess maybe workers have to work a little bit harder when it's busier, but so much of this stuff automated anyway that there really is no impact there.
Pricing analytics is a big thing.
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They have clean stores, they’re very efficient and their employees are nice. Can’t say the same for many other fast food places.
Bogus. By that analogy, every good/service should cost more when it's busier. Grocery prices should vary hourly throughout the day, and even fluctuate within the hour.
Besides, if you've ever been to a fast food restaurant when it's busy, the workers don't pump out food faster. It just takes longer to get your food. So you're not paying for the time at all.
Bottom line, going to a fast food restaurant is a matter of choice.
You can complain about the prices, lack of service etc, but it is not forced upon you, you went there because you wanted to.
You can complain about the prices, lack of service etc, but it is not forced upon you, you went there because you wanted to.
Sure thing, as with anything in life. Like guys choosing to play college football and then whining about the rules and restrictions...you made the choice with your eyes wide open...but that's another dicussion!
As to the Wendy's situation, enough people made their choice ahead of time that they have already nixed the idea.
These two examples are not comparable.
One is a at most a 2-3 minute business transaction. The other is a 1-4 year commitment, and the individual/staff who recruited you is very likely to move on in some capacity, while a new regime may not even want your services any longer.
But nevertheless a 100% voluntary, non-compulsory choice with those facts being known.