For the online seller, price comparison sites can be a valuable channel, and understanding how they work and their presence is important even when they are not used. It is important to know that many market research studies indicate that in the race for the lowest price, there is a negative aspect that should not be underestimated: the presence of "toxic" customers: this clientele does not become loyal, only seeks out deals, and is the most critical and demanding, the most likely to leave negative reviews even without real reasons. It is pointless to believe that one can attract customers with bait prices or discount vouchers issued through buying groups; this clientele will limit itself to purchasing that single product. This also happens offline, where there are customers who shop, for example, in multiple supermarkets only for discounted products or who even change hotels or bed and breakfasts every day during their vacations, taking advantage of coupons purchased from various buying groups like Groupon. There are also active users on review portals who, in exchange for positive reviews, request free products and services.
On the other hand, merchants have quickly adapted to this type of customer by creating non-existent offers or in exchange for positive reviews. As we have seen and as I will discuss in detail in a future article, the European community has introduced the Omnibus Directive, which sets very strict rules for both discounts and reviews.
Planning one’s marketing strategy or purchases based solely on price is, in my opinion, not a winning strategy. Order management, delivery times, customer support, and consumer protection—i.e., the quality that allows for customer loyalty—should always be preferred.