BOGOF ... health excluded!
Buy one, get one free! This has been one of the most successful marketing methods for the last 40 years. The BOGOF idea is imported from the US, where it started in the seventies during the economic recession. These offers were very popular and sold good. Back then, inflation of food products was at its highest.
In the Arabian Gulf region, this selling strategy boomed in the 1990s. It went on making notable revenues for years. But the question for the 2013 customer is: Are all these offers healthy enough? The reputation of BOGOF suffers a lot these days, especially when related to food products. More than one mega store was caught red-handed slipping expired products into the package and taping them to the eatable onces.
Although the Ministry of Commerce has dedicated toll-free numbers for immediate complaints by customers, the mega store market is still huge enough to hide many deceits. The customer in this matter is a leading player. An increased level of awareness can help a great deal. The issue of price and saving is no longer the only concern.
• The writer is the media manager of King Saud bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.
• Twitter: @abdullahsayel
