Charl Department Store headquarters... That's twenty-two kilometers away, right?
The coachman of the steam carriage, suddenly energized by such a big business deal, tossed away his cigarette, raised his whip, and lightly flicked the horse's back.
Accompanied by the synchronized whinnying of the two short-legged horses, fine smoke emerged from the small boiler at the back of the carriage, rising along the chimney attached to the carriage wall, while the water tank hidden in the chassis gurgled.
Next, with the sound of the engine's rhythmic pounding and the clicking of rotating axles, the entire carriage's bottom was lifted by the airflow off the ground. By the time the clatter of hooves echoed on the street, the noisy steam carriage had already shot out seven or eight meters.
"Hey, customer! There are a lot of people over at Charl Department Store!"
It seemed that in any world, those in this line of work were naturally chatty. Even with the roar of the boiler echoing in his ears, the steam coachman remained keen for conversation. Peeking at Leon through the rearview mirror, he shouted,
"Are you headed there for the promotional sale, planning a big shopping spree? Or is someone at home sick from drinking tap water, and you're going to claim compensation?"
A promotional sale? Claiming compensation?
Leon, who had no intention of chatting, suddenly perked up at the coachman's question. He instinctively clutched the folder in his arms tighter, a face full of puzzlement as he asked,
"Over at Charl Department Store... they've already started compensating victims in advance? What's this promotional sale all about?"
"Ahahaha, they're actually the same thing!"
Seeing Leon take the conversation bait, the enthusiastic coachman cheerfully replied,
"The public water pipes had issues some time ago! The company responsible for the pipes, which was co-founded by Charl Department Store and some others, apparently wasn't doing well. They haven't recovered costs up till now, leaving Charl Department Store cash-strapped. The lady boss almost didn't recover from the shock.
This situation had left the owner of Charl Department Store with no choice, so they hung up a banner saying they were selling goods to raise money for compensation, piling up all the department store's items on the street, marking down prices to sell at a loss. The stuff is so cheap it's terrifying—probably even half of the Capital City has flocked over to snatch up the goods!"
Feeling that mere words couldn't capture the grandeur of the scene, the coachman released one of his reins, then gestured a "gongs and drums, firecrackers, red flags fluttering, and crowds of people." He continued, addressing the awestruck Leon,
"Also, they brought over a big box with openings on both ends, where the money from sales goes in on one side, and the people lining up for compensation can receive money directly on the other side. None of it goes through their company, except for people counting money and verifying the identities of claimants!
The most impressive part is that the box is completely transparent, so everyone can see exactly how much money is inside, ensuring they give back what they earn: one Copper Wheel for one Copper Wheel. In any case, they've promised to shoulder the Water Company's responsibility completely, compensating until the department store closes!
Ahahaha! Honestly, customer, while the old man might not run the company well and often pays out compensations, he's genuinely straightforward about this! Now, lots of people are worried they'll go bankrupt too quickly, missing out on the perks, so they're rushing over like mad!"
Compensating, my foot! If they keep buying at this rate, they'll probably lose enough to become the wealthiest!
After hearing about Charl Department Store's bizarre tactic, Leon suddenly developed an immense admiration for the unseen "Old Charl."
As someone who had endured countless commercial schemes, he was all too aware of the potential maneuvers involved here.
Prices of department store items had always been inflated. The production costs in the industrial era were unimaginably low for those who hadn't experienced it. If Gotth, priced at Three Silver Wheels per pack, had a production cost even reaching five Copper Wheels, he'd willingly pop his head off as a ball for them to kick!
So, this so-called great discount certainly still had profits to be made in the end—perhaps substantial ones!
Besides, while the buyers had lost their minds from the stimulation, the sellers hadn't. What actually got discounted for sale was definitely up to the department store. Those items already overpriced, old stock that had been in storage too long, products they could get at ultra-low prices from factories, they'd just keep dumping them out. After all, with 50% off a Three Silver Wheel cigarette and still making a profit, it'd sell out immediately, so why not go at it fiercely?
As for handing out compensation as soon as the sales money came in... who were they kidding?
Buyers could pay and leave immediately, but wouldn't those claiming compensation have to have their identities thoroughly checked? With the speed difference between inflow and outflow, the money box would surely fill up despite its size, and wouldn't Charl Department Store take away the overflow?
For those seeking compensation, their biggest fears were no compensation or inactivity. As long as Charl Department Store kept diligently compensating and continually promised to compensate until bankrupt, plus keeping that big, full money box in sight, those with doubts wouldn't dare to cause a fuss.
After pocketing this "little bit" extra money, Charl Department Store would probably place rush orders with factories, potentially forcing them to accept delayed payment with their sheer volume, pressing down prices fiercely.
In the commercial era, the ones who could sell products were the bosses!
With a "loss-making promotional sale" lasting just a week, they'd likely consume half a year's purchasing power of the entire Capital City. Every department store except Charl would show significant deficit on their accounts, and those without strong foundations would be squeezed dry by payments and storage costs.
As long as Charl Department Store survived, it could secure over 90% of the retail market and leverage its standing to dominate most related factories, likely making it uncontested in the department store business for the next one or two decades.
As for carrying out these harsh tactics and attracting the Kingdom's regulatory attention... kidding me? This wasn't about profit-making, it was about making losses! Massive losses!
Those still waiting for compensation, listen up, we're genuinely keen to compensate you, even selling at a loss to raise money. Didn't you see our lady boss fall ill from all that loss?
Yet the Kingdom's XX Department, along with XX Nobles and XX Council Members, stepped forward to accuse us of malicious dumping and market disruption, disallowing such sales. So, those waiting for compensation, please go back, wait until we raise money through regular sales. As for when we can raise enough...
Haha, that depends on when you guys can bust down those ********!