As an ardent reader of Sneaky Business we're sure you'll need no reminder of the time value of money. It is the concept that a dollar today isn't worth a dollar tomorrow. (Or, in the hyperinflationary case of Zimbabwe, a dollar today isn't worth diddly squat tomorrow).
News from the retail world got us thinking about the potential impact of such a concept on brand names. The LA Times reported today that the 99 Cents Store, a US retail chain that prides itself on bargain basement items, is being forced to re-evaluate its pricing strategy. Faced with rising inflation and soaring food prices it is considering selling items above the one dollar bar for the first time since it opened. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 99c in 1982 (when the store began) has the same buying power as $2.26 in 2008.
This got us thinking about which other famous brands might be in need of a facelift to better represent their value today. Here's our top six.
Brand Name |
Brand Item |
Date Created |
Revalued Name |
99 Cents Store |
Retail chain |
1982 |
$2.26 Store |
Dime Bar |
Candy bar |
1953 |
Eighty Two Cents Bar |
The Six Million Dollar Man |
TV show |
1973 |
The Thirty Million Dollar Man |
The $64,000 question |
TV show |
1955 |
The $525,000 Question |
Dollar Rental Car |
Car rental agency |
1965 |
Seven Dollar Rental Car |
Penny Farthing |
Victorian bicycle |
1870 |
The Thirty Five Cents Farthing |
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