A public-option retail store sounds awesome actually. Imagine all the basic necessities produced and sold at cost: staple foods, simple clothes, basic housewares, etc.
Even slim margins add up, and basic commodity retail is borderline rent-seeking. Stocking soap because people buy soap isn’t really adding any value.
Stocking fancy soaps, scented soaps, extra delicate soaps, soaps with fun designs, etc. adds some value either through the production of differentiated products or through deliberately curating a selection of differentiated products. But just selling regular soap isn’t really a problem suited for the greater market.
SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
Costco membership will be added as a Constitutional right
P1k1e@lemmy.world 1 day ago
Oh sweet, I have the right to purchase a mandatory membership
some_kind_of_guy@lemmy.world 1 day ago
It’s not only your right, it’s every patriot’s responsibility
agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
A public-option retail store sounds awesome actually. Imagine all the basic necessities produced and sold at cost: staple foods, simple clothes, basic housewares, etc.
SubArcticTundra@lemmy.ml 1 day ago
Woah you do have a point actually. Although afaik, being commodities, the margins in those markets are already quite small as is
agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 1 day ago
Even slim margins add up, and basic commodity retail is borderline rent-seeking. Stocking soap because people buy soap isn’t really adding any value.
Stocking fancy soaps, scented soaps, extra delicate soaps, soaps with fun designs, etc. adds some value either through the production of differentiated products or through deliberately curating a selection of differentiated products. But just selling regular soap isn’t really a problem suited for the greater market.