Please answer the question below. Can you think of market beliefs (refer to the p icture below to see some common market beli efs) that you use to make decisions? Are thes e usually sound? Tell about some of your expe riences. TABLE 8.2 Common Market Beliefs Brand All brands are basically the same. Generic products are just name brands sold under a different label at a lower price. The best brands are the ones that are purchased the most. When in doubt, a national brand is always a safe bet. Store Specialty stores are great places to familianize yourself with the best brands; but once you figure out what you want, it's cheaper to buy it at a discount outlet. A store's character is reflected in its window displays. Salespeople in specialty stores are more knowledgeable than other sales personnel. Larger stores offer better prices than small stores. Locally owned stores give the best service. A store that offers a good value on one of its products probably offers good values on all of its items. Credit and retum policies are most lenient a: large department stores. Stores that have just opened usually charge attractive prices. Prices/Discounts/Sales Sales are typically run to get rid of slow-moving merchandise. Stores that are constantly having sales don't really save you money. Within a given store, higher prices generally indicate higher quality. Advertising and Sales Promotion "Hard-sell" advertising is associated with low-quality products. Items tied to "giveoways" are not a good value (even with the freebie). Coupons represent real savings for customers because they are not offered by the store. When you buy heavily advertised products, you are paying for the label, not for iigher quality. Product/Packaging Largest-sized containers are almost always cheaper per unit than smaller sizes. New products are more expensive when theyre first introduced; prices tend to settle down as time goes by. When you are not sure what you need in a product, it's a good idea to invest in the extra features, because you'll probably wish you had them later. In general, synthetic goods are lower in quality than goods made of naturals materials. It's advisable to stay away from products when they are new to the market; it usually takes the manufacturer a little time to work the bugs out