Pricing Power : The phenomenon where the value of money falls below the price of goods is called inflation , and it is said we are currently in an era of inflation. However, it’s not that simple. Inflation is realistically characterized by prices not rising all at once during an inflationary period but rather increasing rapidly for some items and slowly for others over several years. This phenomenon is known as the ‘ Cantillon Effect .’ In other words, inflation is neither uniform nor regular. Conversely, when prices fall below the value of money, it is referred to as deflation . To survive deflation, companies must innovate, often by reducing costs and expenses. During inflation, rising costs must be passed on to other economic agents through increased prices, a concept known as Pricing Power. Since companies cannot pass on all the rising costs, many go bankrupt during periods of inflation. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
In 2019, the coffee shop franchise Banapresso had 47 branches in Seoul, 35 of which were concentrated in the Gangnam and Seocho districts. There were even other Banapresso stores within 200 meters of each other. It was denser than Starbucks. 100% of orders were placed through kiosks and mobile apps. The elders thought it would be hard to place an unattended order, but when they tried it, they were impressed with how seamlessly they were connected to the register. An Americano costs KRW 1,500 (about USD 1.27). There was only one employee. Everything was ordered at the touch of a button and the coffee was served within 40 seconds. All the bread was made at a nearby headquarters and distributed in batches. Banapresso was the antithesis of a traditional coffee franchise. Its parent company is an IT company that operates a ride-hailing app. The same business can be completely transformed into a different business model, due to the interpretation and context. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”