Аннотация: The article deals with the problem of the discounts and its ambiguity in the activity of the company. This problem is quite topical, as currently the vast number of Russian companies use discounts as the method to attract customers and increase sales. According to the authors, the idea of discounts as a unique selling proposition is very distorted by the modern Russian sphere of retail. The discount can be justified only in one case - when the store gets rid of low-quality products, or sells, for example, outdated collections of clothes and shoes. In accordance with the above, competitive advantages are not currently present in discounts, but in the quality of products and services. Also, the authors believe that to ensure the competitiveness of the company, it is necessary to create new tools of selling, and not just copy the practiced forms of discounts, presenting it as its own unique selling proposition.