【經你個濟】 為SU Can的顧客平反 (上)

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By Lawmenormaweb (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

位於校園中心,背靠黃克競樓,面向大學街,緊貼大學人流,坐擁鄰近港鐵站之地理優勢,SU Can 得天獨厚,是薄扶林大學的食肆之一。然而,SU Can 一直都是劣食的象徵,即使 USweet 從後趕上,SU Can 仍力保不失,儼如小寶再肥,香港人也只會記得欣怡,又有多少人能像陳展鵬一樣,浪子回頭,轉戰無線,洗掉一身亞視味?

然而,筆者想為惠顧 SU Can 的師生們擊鼓嗚冤:若然 SU Can 是劣食,我們又如何解釋午市及晚市時,SU Can 總是客似雲來?若然 SU Can 是劣食,哪麼港大師生都喜歡吃劣食不成?誠如香港哲學家黃一飛曾說:「你們怎能冤枉一個瞎子偷看國家機密?」。我們又如何解釋有人會光顧SU Can 的現象呢?

生產者不喜歡生產與其競爭對手一樣的產品,若然兩者的產品都是一樣,消費者只會選擇更便宜的一方,那麼剩下來就是割價戰了,雙方辛苦一輪,最後只能低價出售,利潤微薄。然而,若雙方的產品是有點兒分別,結果會不同,例如甲賣咖喱飯,乙賣燒味飯,大家都是飯,但消費者各有喜好。甲和乙就各自壟斷其忠實顧客群,並且有能力定出相對高的價錢,來賺取利潤。除非燒味飯比咖喱飯貴很多,否則喜歡燒味飯的消費者不太可能因為少少加價而放棄燒味飯。換言之,生產者追求產品多樣化 (product differentiation) 來避免過於激烈的價格競爭,從而賺取利潤。

說到這裡,SU Can 產品多樣化了什麼?很大程度上,SU Can 和 CYM 的產品是同質 (homogeneous product),食物質素暫且不提,午市時我們總會在這些食肆看見多餸飯、燒味飯、時令小菜配飯等等,我們很難發現三者在餐牌上有什麼不同,價格也差不多,剩下來就是食物質素和地理位置。我們很難以食物質素來解釋 SU Can 和 CYM 的產品多樣化,不然這就像說 SU Can 的顧客都是不理性,愛劣食,不懂轉會到 CYM。排除了食物質素,剩下來就是地理位置的事了。

SU Can 位於校園中心,學生前往 SU Can 的平均距離都比往 CYM 近,例如由百周年校園、學生會大樓或黃克競樓前往 SU Can 都比往 CYM 近,而由中山廣場或邵逸夫平台前往兩地,所需時間應差不多,只有從明華、化學樓或物理樓前往 SU Can 比往 CYM 遠。同時,CYM 位於高地,SU Can 位於中層,路程所花力氣亦有不同。總而言之,對不少師生而言,前往 CYM 比 SU Can 要得複雜、耗時、花氣力。

顧客光顧食肆有其金錢和時間成本,金錢成本差不多,但光顧 SU Can 的時間成本更低,假設兩者食物質素一樣 (假設而已),顧客理應光顧 SU Can,而 CYM 理應門可羅雀 (除了來自明華、化學樓及物理樓的師生)。地理優勢就是 SU Can 產品多樣化的手段。若然所有顧客都光顧 SU Can,這很容易做成求過於供 (excess demand)。作為壟斷者,SU Can 當然想收取高昂價格,賺取暴利。然而,大學食肆的價格受大學管理,不易隨意提高。結果,SU Can 只有從成本下手,降低食物質素,反正大家都會因其地理優勢而繼續惠顧。降低質素就能降低成本,儼如提升每單位食物質素的價格 (price per unit of quality)。另一邊廂,CYM 門可羅雀,要吸引顧客,又不可以隨意更動價格,就只有提升食物質素,即是降低每單位質素的價格 (price per unit of quality),希望彌補顧客從遠處前往 CYM 所須付出的額外時間成本。這形成今時今日劣食有SU Can,美食有CYM的局面。

無容置疑,相比 CYM,SU Can 絕對是劣食,又如何?我們的確看見不少師生為了換取較低的時間成本,而放棄若干的食物質素,他們不是不理性,不是愛吃蛆蟲,而是在作出理性的取捨。凡存在必有理。話說筆者的一位朋友不時戲稱 SU Can 為蛆Can,但今日竟然發現他在 SU Can 吃下午茶。平日言語戲虐 SU Can 是「敍述性偏好」(stated preference),即是口裡說不;光顧 SU Can 是「顯示性偏好」(revealed preference),即是身體很誠實。即使取笑SU Can 是劣食的人,或許有朝一日,都會為了省時而屈服。

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