loss leader

American  

noun

1. a popular article that is sold at a very low price or at a loss for the purpose of attracting customers to a retail store.

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loss leader British  

noun

1. an article offered below cost in the hope that customers attracted by it will buy other goods

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Other Word Forms

• loss-leading adjective

Etymology

Origin of loss leader

First recorded in 1920–25

Example Sentences

Personal fame was a loss leader to sell stuff.”

From Los Angeles Times

Big-box stores used the cheaper poinsettias as loss leaders to lure in customers.

From Los Angeles Times

Yet only now is the group visiting sold-out baseball parks — and without even the loss leader of new music to help drum up interest in its show.

From Los Angeles Times

This is because carrots are often chosen as "loss leaders" in supermarkets.

From BBC

Experts told the Pepperoni team it was a loss leader; only supermarkets could turn a profit by bringing in bananas from South America.

From BBC