Chapter 18: 5.1

During a recession, one could gain or maintain market share by the following means:

1. Value-based pricing will stimulate desire in the customer who has savings on the mind: offering specials, sliding scale rates, or rebates would be especially appealing. Reminding the customer that s/he is getting a lot of value for the money is important during a recession when customers can take offense at being asked to pay higher rates--or may simply not have the funds available.
2. Bundling will also stimulate purchasing by offering more items for the same price or for a lesser price per item. For example, I recently purchased a tooth kit that contained toothpaste and several related products bundled at the same price as a competitor whose toothpaste alone cost the same amount.
3. Unbundling can help a customer purchase only wanted items at a lower price--in the above example, if I had been charged per item for the tooth kit above, I would actually have been appreciative of the ability to unbundle the package and select only the items I most needed.