buy one, get one free

The economist Alex Tabarrok has argued, that the success of this promotion lies in the fact that consumers value the first unit significantly more than the second one. So compared to a seemingly equivalent "Half price off" promotion, they may only buy one item at half price, because the value they attach to the second unit is lower than even the discounted price.[http://www.marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2004/03/buy_one_get_one.html Buy one get one free], from Marginal Revolution. Retrieved 2008-01-05.

The concept of "buy one, get one free" was devised in the 18th century by retail entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood.{{cite news|first=Judith|last=Flanders|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/10/opinion/10flanders.html?_r=2|title=They Broke It|newspaper=The New York Times|date= 9 January 2009}}{{cite news |title=Josiah Wedgwood, an Industrial Revolution pioneer |url=https://www.adamsmith.org/blog/josiah-wedgewood-an-industrial-revolution-pioneer |access-date=8 June 2024 |publisher=Adam Smith Institute}} This technique is commonly known in the marketing industry by the acronym BOGOF, or simply BOGO.{{cite news | last = Wallop | first = Harry | url = https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/2263645/Food-waste-Why-supermarkets-will-never-say-bogof-to-buy-one-get-one-free.html | title = Food waste: Why supermarkets will never say bogof to buy one get one free | publisher = Telegraph | date = 2008-07-07 | accessdate = 2010-08-28 }}{{cite news | last = Roberts | first = Loren| url = https://www.waltontribune.com/blogs/loren_roberts/article_5ee4a2a0-4696-11e1-8878-001871e3ce6c.html | title = What does BOGO really mean? | publisher = Walton Tribune| date = 2012-01-24 | accessdate = 2021-02-19 }}

Two-for-one promotions in the food industry have been criticized as contributing to food waste. Because many foods under such offers have short shelf lives, customers are more likely to pass the products' use by date.[https://www.tallahassee.com/story/life/home-garden/2020/11/27/food-precious-resource-often-goes-waste/6406518002/ Shop wisely: Better habits can prevent waste of precious resource]{{cite news | last1 = Young | first1 = Philippa | title = Supermarket 'Bogof' deals criticised over food waste | url = https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26908613 | accessdate = 17 October 2014 | date = 6 April 2014 | work = BBC News}}{{cite news | title = Buy-one-get-one-free offers 'should be scrapped to cut food waste' | url = https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/apr/06/buy-one-get-one-free-food-waste-supermarkets | accessdate = 17 October 2014 | date = 6 April 2014}}{{cite news | last1 = Swinburne | first1 = Zander | title = Supermarkets urged to scrap buy-one-get-one-free as shoppers waste 222m tons of food a year | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/news/supermarkets-urged-to-scrap-buyonegetonefree-as-shoppers-waste-222m-tons-of-food-a-year-9241174.html | accessdate = 20 October 2014 | date = 6 April 2014 | work = The Independent}}

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Category:Sales promotion