Even the online sales information for Wild Oats products do not advertise any specific discounts, regarding dry goods, regardless of season or venue. ("Shop for Wild Oats at Amazon.com," Official Web page, 2006) Thus, there is no specific strategy to reduce prices for new products, or to reduce prices for products at the end of the life cycle, given the constraints of the input costs of food items. Factors that affect the sensitivity of the product's pricing

The availability of non-organic substitutes is an obvious concern regarding product pricing. Many consumers will not patronize Wild Oats if there is an economic downturn, and they cannot afford to buy locally. Even wealthier consumers who patronize Wild Oats likely have a limited share of their weekly income that they are willing to buy for groceries.

Wild Oats does have some consumers that do not have as much flexibility as other consumers, however. For example, consumers who are wheat-intolerant, who are on low-carb diets, or who have other dietary needs that are not likely to be met at conventional supermarkets may have to patronize Wild Oats for the sake of their special diets.

Use of psychological pricing techniques: bait pricing, lead pricing, prestige pricing

Virtually all of Wild Oats pricing is dependant upon prestige pricing. Wild Oats deploys a considerable amount of its advertising to convince consumers that humanely produced, organic, and environmentally friendly farming and production methods justify a higher price for these goods. Also, its promotions stress the presumed...

The difficulty of finding organic products that are produced in a fair manner, of finding produce that is locally grown, and the difficulty for customers with dietary constraints to find goods they can eat, are presumed to necessitate and justify the higher price of Wild Oats goods. Wild Oats clearly informs the customer of why prices are higher, but it is up to the customer to determine if this higher cost is truly justified. Cannibalism within the market is minimized because some customers are likely to face few alternatives at other venues, or at least will not be able to buy all of their specialty goods at one store that is close to their home.
Works Cited

Community Commitment: Fair Trade." (2006) Wild Oats Official Web page. [6 Aug 2006] http://www.wildoats.com/u/community100066/

Shop for Wild Oats at Amazon.com." Wild Oats Official Web page. [6 Aug 2006]

http://www.wildoats.com/redesign/shop.php

Wild Oats: Home." (2006) Wild Oats Official Web page. [6 Aug 2006]

http://www.wildoats.com/u/home/

Wild Oats: Holistic and Health Information." Wild Oats Official Web page. [6 Aug 2006]

http://www.wildoats.com/u/health/

Wild Oats: What's on Sale." (2006) Wild Oats Official Web page. [6 Aug 2006]

http://www.wildoats.com/u/onsale