[/floatl]Asahi: Crossed-out prices likely to disappear
Many major electric home appliance makers and some of the biggest retail chains in the business will scrap the common practice of showing crossed-out prices on price tags that promise "further discounts." Consumers complained it is sometimes too difficult to determine the correct price... Opinions were divided in the electronics industry on the widespread practice. Some say "prices are finalized through negotiations between customers and sales clerks at stores"... The usual explanation from salespeople for the varied prices was that as prices sometimes change several times a day for popular items, reprinting price tags takes too much time. But according to an industry insider, the practice is done to avoid price wars. If a store clearly states its final discount price, other stores will follow suit, dropping their prices accordingly... According to the Fair Trade Commission, while it is illegal to sell a product at a price higher than that displayed, there is nothing wrong with doing the opposite. However, a clause in the related law stipulates that ambiguous price displays puzzle consumers. "If such price tags (with crossed-out prices and a 'further discount available' message) become the rule, eventually the whole concept of having price tags on goods in stores will become meaningless," an FTC official said...more...
