What Does 'Value for Money' Actually Mean?

"Please forgive us for not doing Double 11, not doing Black Friday, and definitely not doing discounts," Carmen wrote recently on her own social feed. "We only have genuine, fairly-priced goods and service with real warmth." Carmen runs Fosetter in Montreal's Chinatown, and she has a specific idea of what "value for money" actually means — one that isn't about the lowest price.

Two different meanings of the same phrase

"What some people mean by value for money is: I spend less money to buy something worse, and I think that's amazing value," she says. "That's not how I see it. I spend a reasonable price to buy something of genuinely high quality. So the value for money in our store isn't the same as what other people mean by it."

Her summary of the difference is blunt: "A lot of businesses get undone by chasing value for money the wrong way. That's not how we operate here. Good is good."

An anniversary draw instead of a sale

No discounts doesn't mean no event. Carmen's shop is running an anniversary lucky draw with 25 physical prizes, including a gold commemorative medal, premium bird's nest, Canadian sea cucumber, and ginseng, plus cash red envelopes for winners. The gold medal is cast exclusively for Fosetter and only available by coming into the actual store. The draw takes place on February 6, 2027 — details are on the Fosetter website, or through Carmen's WeChat, Carmenfosetter.