> Customers do adapt to this, and expect future discounts (sales) at release date already, and defer their purchase accordingly (despite valueing it higher!).

> But in reality, customers are not 100% rational

Or they are, and assign higher value to having the product now, rather than in the future.

I can easily see that apply in the case of pharma, where paying $$$ now can be preferable even over getting the product for free a month from now, when you’re dead.