pricey, premium/predatory pricing, go public, price oneself out of the market

Paying Till It Hurts

In Need of a New Hip, but Priced Out of the U.S.

By ELISABETH ROSENTHAL

In the United States, nearly all hip and knee implants are made by five companies that are particularly adept at commanding inflated prices through a web of mysterious charges.

wsjEMC Accused of Kickbacks

EMC disclosed that the U.S. is alleging the hardware maker engaged in improper pricing practices in contracts with the government. EMC denies the charges.

Apple Trims Some Desktop Prices

Apple updated its lineup of desktop computers, trimming some of its prices and adding features but largely maintaining its premium pricing.

Fujitsu Moves to Split Off Chip Business

Fujitsu will spin off its large-scale integration chip unit as it moves away from the pricey semiconductor sector.

Starbucks' Lessons for Premium Brands

http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5973.htmlAfter building a great franchise offering a unique customer experience, Starbucks diluted its brand when it overexpanded and offered too many new products. Harvard Business School professor John Quelch thinks the trouble began when the company went public.


"We think in tough times there’s a premium for making people smile, and it gives the opportunity to stand out in a crowd," Air New Zealand’s marketing general manager Steve Bayliss said.
「我們認為在經濟艱困時，博君一粲反能帶來額外收穫，同時也讓我們有機會鶴立雞群，」紐航行銷經理貝里斯表示。

premium： 名詞，指獎金、獎品或額外的酬金、津貼、加價或溢價，如 We’re willing to pay a premium for the best location.（我們願意為尋找最適當的地點多付點錢。）at a premium則指某事物因稀少而特別重要，如Fresh water was at a premium after the reservoir was contaminated.（由於水庫遭到污染，淡水顯得格外珍貴。）

premium (EXTRA) Show phonetics
noun [C]
an amount which is more than usual:
We're willing to pay a premium for the best location.
Because of their location, these offices attract a premium.
The modified cars are available at a premium of 5% over the original price.
The busy shopper puts a premium on (= appreciates and will pay more for) finding everything in one big store.

premium Show phonetics
adjective
describes something that is of higher than usual quality:
premium ice cream
The building is on a premium site.

go public

1. To become publicly owned, by launching shares of stock onto the open market: The company went public after having been closely held for 12 years.

price 
noun [C]
the amount of money for which something is sold:
The price of oil has risen sharply.
House prices have been falling.
We thought they were asking a very high/low price.
The large supermarkets are offering big price cuts.

price 
verb
1 [T often passive] to say what the price of something is:
The car is priced at £28 000.
There is a lack of reasonably priced housing for rent.

2 [T] to discover how much something costs:
We went around all the travel agents pricing the different tours.

priceless 
adjective
1 describes an object which has such a high value, especially because it is rare, that the price of it cannot be calculated:
A priceless collection of vases was destroyed.
FIGURATIVE Her knowledge and experience would make her a priceless (= extremely useful) asset to the team.

2 INFORMAL extremely amusing to see or hear:
You should have seen the look on her face when I told her - it was priceless!

pricey (pricier, priciest), pricy 
adjective INFORMAL
expensive:
It's a bit pricey but the food is wonderful.

pricing 定價

predatory pricing noun [U] SPECIALIZED
when a company offers goods at such a low price that other companies cannot compete with it:
The airline has reduced its prices so sharply that it has been accused of predatory pricing.

price oneself out of the market

become unable to compete commercially: as supermodels price themselves out of the market, actresses are ready to negotiate terms