
Originally Posted by
griffin
It's meant more as a marketting/advertising gimmick, rather than something that will be applied very often. After all, if you know an item is in stock at their *nearest* competitor at that price, they would be thinking, why wouldn't you go there? I can think of a couple reasons for price-matching (rewards programs, or convenience of buying or laybuying other items together at the one location)... but realistically, if you know an item is at another store, the question this store could ask is - 'why didn't you buy it there while you were there?' Or since most will only check a nearest store to see if they have stock, often it will be in the same shopping centre, so why wouldn't a store be able to suggest, going to their store to buy it if you are only after that single item?
It would be nice to take a collection of catalogues to a single store that offers to match the cheapest current price, and not have to run to different locations, but before the internet (and our sightings forum), that's how it was done. And if you're price-matching a store that doesn't even have that item in stock, then this store has every right to say, 'nope'. And that includes other sublines of a particular size class being advertised (a Generations Deluxe shouldn't be price-matched to a Movie Deluxe).
Most stores are pretty good though, and sometimes flexible with what can be price-matched. Unfortunately you occasionally get the occasional checkout staffer who will only match the *sample* item photographed (like Bumblebee), instead of to the entire *size class* that is on sale.