Chapter 5: The Battle for Sales
Nathan clenched his fists as he watched Jordan selling snacks at the other end of the cafeteria.
Jordan's table was stacked with chips, chocolate bars, and energy drinks—a bigger inventory than Nathan's. He wasn't just selling; he was drawing attention, joking with students, and handing out discounts for bulk purchases.
So he copied my idea and now he's undercutting my prices.
Nathan wasn't angry. He expected competition. But he hadn't expected Jordan to jump in so aggressively.
The Problem with Copycats
At first, Nathan continued selling like usual. But by the second day, he noticed something troubling.
His sales dropped.
Students who had been buying from him yesterday were now crowding around Jordan's stand instead. Why?
Then, during lunch, Nathan overheard a conversation.
"I'll take a bag of chips," one student said.
Jordan handed it over with a smirk. "That'll be two bucks. But hey, if you buy three, I'll give you one for free."
Nathan's eyes widened. He's using bulk discounts to steal my customers.
That was a dangerous strategy. Jordan had more money to invest, meaning he could afford to sell at lower prices while still making a profit.
If Nathan tried to match those prices, he'd run out of money fast.
But Nathan knew better than to fight fire with fire.
A Smarter Strategy
Instead of panicking, Nathan adjusted his approach.
1. Convenience is King → While Jordan focused on lunch breaks, Nathan started a delivery system, bringing snacks straight to students during class breaks. No need to wait in line.
2. Exclusive Products → Instead of competing on price, he found rare imported snacks from a small Asian grocery store. Flamin' Hot Cheetos? Too common. He started selling exotic flavors like Wasabi Doritos and Japanese Kit-Kats.
3. Loyalty Perks → Regular customers got special discounts and first access to limited items. This built customer loyalty.
Within a few days, his strategy worked.
Nathan's sales climbed back up, and he noticed something else—Jordan's discount strategy wasn't sustainable.
Jordan's Counterattack
One afternoon, Nathan was in the hallway, counting his earnings.
[Balance: $75.50]
Not bad. He had nearly doubled his money in less than a week.
Just as he was about to head to class, a group of students approached him.
"Hey, man," one of them said, looking uncomfortable. "We can't buy from you anymore."
Nathan frowned. "Why not?"
The guy scratched his head. "Jordan's been telling teachers that you're selling stuff in class. A few kids got their snacks confiscated."
Nathan's jaw tightened.
So Jordan was playing dirty now? He couldn't beat Nathan in sales, so he was trying to get him shut down completely.
Nathan wasn't going to let that happen.
If Jordan wanted war, he'd get one.