ARGUMENT #9

ARGUMENT #9 “For the past five years, consumers in California have been willing to pay twice as much for oysters from the northeastern Atlantic Coast as for Gulf Coast oysters. This trend began shortly after harmful bacteria were found in a few raw Gulf Coast oysters. But scientists have now devised a process for killing the bacteria. Once consumers are made aware of the increased safety of Gulf Coast oysters, they are likely to be willing to pay as much for Gulf Coast as for northeastern Atlantic Coast oysters, and greater profits for Gulf Coast oyster producers will follow.”

Great profits for Gulf Coast oysters would certainly follow if consumers were willing to pay as much for them as they do Atlantic Coast oysters. But for consumers to simply switch brands should not be the hope of Gulf Coast producers. Given consumer habits and purchasing trends, an increase in safety is not likely to translate into profits.

Though a bit cliche, habits are hard to break – for an individual, much more so for a group of consumers. Having been purchasing from the northeast for five years, consumers are not likely to return their business to the Gulf Coast without significant incentives. And as the initial withdraw of business stemmed from safety concerns, those five years will likely be remembered as “unsafe” in regard to the south’s oysters, even if such was not the case. For these reasons, consumer confidence will need to be the focus of Gulf Coast producers if they hope to capture some of the market and turn a larger profit.

While a safer product at a lower cost might grab the attention of consumers, a safer product at twice the price it was before safety was ever an issue, is likely to grab only criticism. Why should consumers continue to pay the higher price if they return their business to the producers that “failed” them in the first place? While this is not necessarily a fare assessment, it is surely the reasoning that will be in the minds of consumers. While an increase in price would be understandable given inflation over the previous five years, a doubled price will do little to change purchasing trends.

Finally, while this argument misjudges the consumer, it also over-looks some pertinent facts when it claims that greater profits for the south will follow. Among them – how much money have Gulf Coast producers spent, and continue to spend, in remedying the bacteria problem? The cost of the solution affects the amount of profit for the producers. Also, how much money would the south have to spend to advertise it’s name and correct the mindset that Gulf Coast oysters are a safety issue? Five years is perhaps a long enough time that Gulf Coast producers will be starting from nothing – a very expensive task. And while such things as proximity, flavor, and even customer service can draw the business of some Californian consumers, there’s much more that will have to be done besides providing a safe product before Gulf Coast oyster producers realize greater profits.