Business studies for beginners on the self-picking strawberry field. The father of a family gives his offspring the lesson on efficient cost reduction in a child-friendly manner: “The more you eat here, the cheaper it will be for us. Only what ends up in the basket is weighed, and we have to pay for that. Hold on! ”The man smacks and gossips about what he has heard in his studies about supply, demand and price developments, that the providers have calculated coolly, that the whole thing pays off for them, that entrepreneurs simply have a risk. No pity for the farmers, self-pickers, bring in the harvest!
The children listen and take a long time - one strawberry of the 'Malwina' variety (which ripens very sweetly and late) is dark red, plump and shiny. Great, eating contests are even welcome here. “Hmm, they're delicious!” You stuff and save. Soon the polo shirts of the three luxury brands, from 60 euros and up, will be speckled in red. Snacking is allowed, the farmers advertise in the trust that most customers have the majority of the wood properly weighed and paid for. The pound price is already well below that in retail. The saleswoman shrugs her shoulders at such cheeky fruits: These are exceptions. Recently a clique of students came, visibly little money, they would have eaten next to nothing.
The phenomenon of consumer greed is independent of the season.
At the weekly market, too, the elderly people help themselves extensively at the cheese stand, ask the dealer about his fine Gruyère in order to then rush off on their e-bikes.
They didn't buy anything.
But waved friendly.
“That was definitely not our last visit!” Sums up the strawberry father while weighing.
His official yield is just under five pounds.
The woman at the stand does not accept his 50 cents tip.
In the Nine-to-Five column, changing authors write about curiosities from everyday life in the office and university.