BrianGarst.com

In one of the odder stories I’ve seen in sometime, the New York Times describes competition among local pizza shop owners as if it’s reporting from the front lines of Afghanistan. In essence, new competition has forced prices at local pizza shops down from $1.50 to $.75. Wonderful, right? How great for the consumers!

But the article describes the “amped-up war of commerce” in the starkest of terms, warning that “escalation seems imminent,” as if the missiles might fly at any moment. They even note that both sides accuse the other of “unprovoked” price slashing, implying that it’s a negative thing that can only occur after some sort of initial affront. Not once does the piece object to this absurd characterization by offering the point of view of the consumer. Price cutting is not an action that must be “provoked,” it is a simple consequence of our competitive system where businesses fight to attract customers. Nor do we need the New York Times to delve into the he said/he said to determine who is the “true aggressor.”

There is no aggressor; there are merely multiple suppliers rushing to serve the same customers as cheaply and efficiently as possible. Perhaps if the New York Times understood the concept they wouldn’t be losing so many of theirs.