When you know how manufacturers price items and use that to your advantage, you can come out ahead on major purchases.
What is MAP pricing?
MAP stands for Minimally Advertised Price. Certain manufacturers don’t want their products sold for less than a standard price, because lower prices might cheapen the brand. This generally applies for electronics and larger purchases, such as appliances. The retail store is under obligation not to put that particular product on sale for less than the minimum amount designated by the manufacturer.
For example, take the Nintendo Wii video game. No matter where you go to purchase it, you’ll be met with a standard price of $199.
How to get a bargain on a MAP product
So, if a product costs the same everywhere you go, how can you get a bargain and pay less than that price? There are a few different ways to go about this.
The first thing to understand is that the MAP is the price that needs to appear in advertising. The store can sell it for less, as long as it isn’t widely known that this is the case. So, this means that you may still be able to bargain with the manager for a better price.
Online is another place to find bargains on MAP items. You’ll see these items listed without a visible price on the site. The price will be revealed when you add the item to your shopping cart.
Finally, if you can’t get the MAP price to be less than what it is, then look for special bundles. Stores will throw in some extras to make the deal. Sometimes this is standard for the store or promotion (such as extra games and accessories for that Nintendo Wii), other times you will need to ask for the extras to be thrown in to your purchase for free.
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