Sunday, August 24, 2008

A particularly petty Olympic price-gouge

Sometimes, it's the little things that annoy the most.

The other day, I dropped into my neighbourhood mini-supermarket on my way to the subway, to pick up a Coke. The girl at the counter asked for 3 kuai.

Coke has been 2 kuai for as long as I can remember. A few of the chain convenience stores have recently raised it to 2.50 - but that's about as far as Olympic price-gouging has gone. And I suspect these guys may have to back down and restore the 2 kuai price-point, because neither the major supermarkets nor the mom-and-pop xiaomaibu seem to have gone along with them.

3 kuai for a Coke??!! This was just really, really annoying.

I have used this store - infrequently, but fairly regularly - for around 4 years. I have bought dozens, perhaps even a hundred or more soft drinks there. They have always been 2 kuai. I paid 2 kuai for a Coke there last month. I paid 2 kuai for a Coke there less than a week ago. I would be willing to bet that any Chinese customers who wanted to buy a Coke there that very day would only be asked for 2 kuai.

Yes, perhaps it wasn't even really an Olympic gouge, just a foreigner gouge or a tourist gouge. Or perhaps it was just the silly girl getting confused about the prices.

But whatever it was, I'm afraid I got MIGHTILY PISSED OFF about it, and stormed out leaving the Coke on the counter.

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