For many consumers, low prices are often equal to cheap products. While everyone loves a good bargain (特价商品), low prices can harm how your product is viewed. Instead of getting a great deal, customers often believe that you get what you pay for. Though everyday low-pricing strategies can work for some companies, they’re not always the best idea for certain lines of business.

Consumer perceptions play a significant role in strategic pricing. Despite all the promotions surrounding great deals, it turns out that cheaper isn’t always better. Research from Vanderbilt University suggests that low prices can backfire because consumers sometimes see them as signs of low-quality products. However, researchers also found that consumers sometimes see low prices as simply good deals. Shoppers’ perceptions depend on what they’re thinking about when deciding whether or not to buy a product.

If consumers come across a low-priced product or service, they may see it as either a good deal or not worth their time and money. How consumers think about price is just as important as the actual price itself.

Consumers rarely have complete information and use various strategies to fill gaps in their knowledge when considering products. One strategy involves using naive theories: informal explanations used by consumers to make sense of their environment. A consumer may perceive an upscale (高档的) company’s prices are too high or assume discount retailers’ (零售店) products are inferior (次的) due to its reputation being associated with lower quality items than other stores selling similar goods.

Companies can influence how customers feel about their low prices by conducting market research and improving marketing strategies focused on highlighting product quality rather than just value alone which tends towards making people rate cheaper products more favorably. When companies focus on the product quality in marketing materials, consumers look more favorably upon more expensive products. However, when companies focus on value, consumers rate cheap products more favorably.

Businesses can also identify their customer base and narrow their marketing efforts to become perceived as a specialist. This leaves customers less likely to question pricing strategies because they trust that the company knows what it’s doing and has done its research into what works best for them.

【小题1】What does research from Vanderbilt University suggest?

A．Strategic pricing determines shoppers’ perceptions.

B．Promotions are linked with high-quality products.

C．Consumers only see low prices as a real bargain.

D．Consumers’ perceptions of low prices vary greatly.

【小题2】What does the underline word “backfire” mean in Paragraph 2?

A．Produce an opposite result.	B．Cause a serious explosion.
C．Meet people’s expectations.	D．Have a positive effect.

【小题3】How can companies influence consumers’ feelings about their low prices?

A．By emphasizing product quality.	B．By targeting a wider audience.
C．By offering more promotions.	D．By lowering prices even further.

【小题4】What is the best title of this article?

A．Low prices are always a good thing for businesses

B．Low prices can sometimes scare off customers

C．Companies should focus on value rather than quality

D．Companies should ignore consumers’ perceptions of price