Want to know a brilliant way to sell more of something? Tell Americans they’re running out of it. Have Costco and Sam’s Club post signs that restrict buyers to x number of boxes or gallons or bags. Let the media run with the story.
This week the panic is about rice. In the case of Sam’s they’re limiting people to 4 20lb. bags at a time. Wait, you mean I can’t buy more than EIGHTY POUNDS of basmati rice? That I have to take these 4 20lb. bags out to my car before I can come back inside and buy another EIGHTY POUNDS of jasmine rice?
Yes, I understand how this may affect restaurant owners and the like, but the people who are most likely to overreact to these restrictions are the least likely to need 200lbs. of rice sitting around.