Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture
by Ellen Rupert Shell
This book was one I had seen at the AAG meeting in Washington D.C. this past march or april. It seemed fascinating so I thought I’d pick it up from the library. It was a very fascinating read.
This book basically does two things. First it shows us how things we take for granted (such as shrimp, printers, clothes, furniture, etc.) get to be so cheap. Second, she shows what cheap means to the employees, environment and the quality of our items.
Consumers want things as cheap as possible but also at high quality. She mentions odd quirks about humans such as actually devaluing good quality things when it is tagged with a low price. There is a whole psychology dealing with human reactions to products and companies and it is fascinating to look at.
We know that when we buy cheap, we are not expecting good quality merchandize. Shell goes through and gives us a glimpse of ourselves by showing what corporations have sold to us in their advertising and public relations. Everything from shopping carts to outlet stores and Levittowns influenced how we consume goods even today.
This book answered the question, “Why do we buy discounted/cheap goods which are low in quality?” One answer is that we have gotten accustomed to that which brings high profits to businesses. But I had hoped the answer to the question, “What can we do?” could be answered more concretely. The ending was uncomfortable, vague it seemed. But after reading this book I am better prepared to make wise purchasing decisions. I wish it was more concrete, but at least now I know how the “buying and selling structure” works and hopefully be a smarter consumer.
This book is definitely worth a read. Find out what has influenced you to consume the way you do. Make your own decisions about what you buy and don’t be fooled by false sales.
Have a question? Review too vague? This isn’t a book in my speciality so post a comment or ask a question and I’ll try and answer it. I might come across clearer that way :)