Target’s Fuzzy Math Spreads To Dollar General

Imagine that you need 42 ounces of Skittles. We’re not sure what you need them for; it’s your life. When shopping in large quantities, always check for dastardly Target Math, which exists to trip up innocent shoppers like you who just want a large quantity of something. Instead, Target Math makes you pay more per ounce when you buy in bulk, while you could have purchased multiples of a smaller size for less money.

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Take this example, the real-life version of the Skittles quandary posed above, submitted by reader Tami. You, the theoretical buyer of large quantities of Skittles, could buy one bag of 41 ounces for $7.79, or three bags of 14 ounces each for a total of 42 ounces and $7.47. Makes perfect sense.

Meanwhile, over at Dollar General, a “dollar-ish” discount store, Guillem noticed something curious about the sale price on bread. This is the other variation of Target math: putting something on sale without putting it on sale.

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