dsheinem wrote: I get what you are saying, but typically the invocation of "best selling" does have some kind of statistical referent. For cars it may be the best selling model for the company for the year, the best selling car in its class, etc.
Why is there no such thing as "50% off"? Again, that often connotes a reduction in retail price over standard rates (e.g. MSRP). If I buy a $60 game on release day and use a 50% off coupon, I am only spending $30. Now perhaps the retailer isn't actually taking a 50% hit on the sale, but that doesn't change the fact that it is in fact a deal for half price.
Next time you see "Best selling author" or "Civic, the best selling car in America" look for asterisks. You'll find more often than not, there are none. Of course the key words you are looking for is "Based on".
6 x .5 = 3. Not difficult. But marketing concepts in pricing theory say that if that 6 was based on a pricing model with the number 12 than you really aren't getting 50% off. You are getting 50% off an arbitrary msrp. So if I go to Gamestop and buy a $60 game at half off, and pay $30, but Joe's game shack has the exact game selling at $30, I only received what was perceived to be a game at half price.
And again, this is all based on theory. Mathematically, yes, you pay half of the sticker price, but that sticker price was put there to make you think 50% off is a deal.