Why do stores use .99 (or whatever cents) instead of rounding up to an even dollar amount?

2010-03-08T12:22:27Z

sounds reasonable back then when one cent mattered. nowadays I wonder if that still works?

Beaux Bells2010-03-08T12:16:32Z

Favorite Answer

Back in the early 50's Sears had a catalog company.
One day they changed the price of an item from $1 to .99 cents and it sold like crazy.
It made people think that it was cheap somehow.
Other companies soon started suit and the rest is history.

Funny thing is: 9's are unlucky in Japan.
Nine is also sometimes pronounced ku, which can mean suffering.
I think they end everything in 3 since that number is lucky.
/