At most, the payoff is usually just the opportunity to purchase the newfangled product at a discount if the concept comes to life.

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Most people searching for deals will ask, without embarrassment, for money off a slightly damaged product, or for a discount when paying with cash.

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While bigger chains such as Kroger Co. have adapted by tweaking store formats and improving discount programs and product offerings, Supervalu has scrambled to keep pace.

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Just copy a popular product, sell it at a discount and rake in the returns.

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This rule path can then be enhanced with complementary content or offerings, whether for discount on the searched product or an up-sell on similar items.

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Or some new catastrophic insurance product is incentivized that demands regular screening in exchange for discount rates.

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That product is none other than Merrill Edge, an online discount brokerage that BofA introduced this past summer.

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What Schmid hoped the Postal Service would do was leverage the fact that it delivered mail every day to every home to develop new products that could have been the paper version of highly targeted e-mails offering you a discount at your favorite store on your favorite product.

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