Good, Good, Good Merchandising

Okay, I couldn't help trying to write the title of this blog post "to the tune" of Good Vibrations by the Beach Boys (as opposed to Good Vibrations by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch, which is still a whole lotta fun in its own right)

But I have to say, I'm often impressed when a retailer can take a normally boring item (in this case, cases of soda pop) and turn it into a festive display.

The Metro on Upper James in Hamilton did it again, and I couldn't help but snap a pic of the simple magic of a good display.

Alexander high-fives the diet pepsi snowman at Metro

To the left was a gigantic "fireplace" display made from cases of assorted Pepsi branded pop. The pics I snapped of that were too blurry to use - but it certainly makes an effective display.

Change Is Bad; Trust No One!

… … The title of this blog post "Change is bad; trust no one!" is something a buddy of mine named Mathew used to jokingly utter under his breath, particularly during the sweeping changes that struck Chapters Online during the dot com bust in 2000.

Mathew, someone who embraces change, was being cheeky when uttering that phrase, but the sad truth is it's the mantra of so many people.

I fell victim to it the other day.

But when I paused to actually look at the details, I realised I was being closed-minded and change-averse. And, interestingly enough, I was so upset with the change that I missed the fact that this change was good.

The President's Choice brand recently changed the packaging for one of their BBQ sauces - Smokin Stampede Beer & Chipotle BBQ sauces. Since I first discovered it, it has been among my favourites. We ALWAYS have a bottle in the house.

My immediate thought upon seeing the updated packaging was: "Oh great - smaller package, same price. The big companies are screwing with us again; giving us less while charging the same price, or more." In this case, the packaging changed, but the price remained the same (Although, admittedly, when a consumer gets this frazzled, you might as well have also "upped" the price)

Last night while BBQing, I used up the original sause, so brought out the new bottle. I was so upset, I even went to take a picture of the two of them side by side so I could tweet my disappointment to the world.

Of course, it was only when I was taking the picture that I looked closely at the label.

The new "smaller" package was still 1L - the exact same size as the original glass bottle. Only, the plastic one was, naturally, half the weight and much easier to grip in one hand. Also, when I went to pour it, the new packaging had an "easy to pour" flip lid, while the old one, while classic and stylish with a cork pop top, was messy.

Simply, the old packaging, while "neat" and unique, was too heavy, difficult to fit nicely in the refrigerator, too messy and just think about the freight involved in shipping a skid of them.

The new packaging (which runs the exact same price for the consumer) is lighter, easier to handle, easier to store, and easier to use. It's a phenomenal improvement.

However, remember my initial reaction? Negative. "Change is bad!"

Even though I joke and make fun, I fall victim to this close-minded perspective.

Perhaps there are other things changing that we're missing the boat on. That's definitely worth keeping in mind.

A Word Of Caution For Booksellers

It has long been said that the book industry should pay close attention to the significant changes and turbulation that has decimated the music industry, lest it fall into the same pits and traps.

Simply, music was digitized and distributed via the internet long before digital books, which have been around a long time, and their "threat" has been looming for well over a decade; today, however, ebooks are finally maturing to a point where their accessibility and consumption is now underway well beyond the outliers who are quick to adopt new technology.

I have thus been paying attention to the music industry, particularly to the physical music retail locations I encounter in my travels, eager to try to learn as much as I can, so as to be prepared for dealing with similar changes that will affect bricks and mortar bookstores.

Yesterday, however, I was shocked when I approached HMV (a popular music retail chain) at Limeridge Mall in Hamilton.

I had to pause at the front entrance and pull out my camera, because I simply could NOT believe my eyes; this bizarre and terrible change was visible even as I approached from well over 150 feet away. But as I neared, it became clearer that I was not seeing things. I could barely contain my horror as I pulled out my phone to snap a quick picture.

Is THIS what booksellers have to look forward to?

OMG, if booksellers aren't careful and don't learn from what happened to the music industry . . .

. . . in the very near future, we might just all be selling BOOKS in our stores.

I sincerely hope we're up to this challenge.


(* Yes, this blog post was written with tongue firmly planted in cheek. And yes, I felt I HAD to state this in case anybody reading it thinks I have deluded myself into a state of complacency)

Best Of Both Worlds

Don't get me wrong, I'm a fan of Netflix. I love the idea of being able to access movies and television shows at my own convenience without having to leave the house.

However, the service, while pretty exciting, is still hugely lacking in Canada if you're looking for newer releases or a broad selection. To someone like me, though, who hasn't seen a lot of movies (heck, I likely read perhaps three or four times more books in a year than I watch movies) there's still lots of "not yet seen" stuff available. So to me, Netflix is a pretty decent service with lots of room to continue to grow and improve.

But I also relish the experience of heading to my local movie rental place and browsing. I often spot titles I wouldn't have noticed on the screen (despite some pretty cool systematic browsing capabilities Netflix offers) just by walking through the aisles of the store. The serendipity of that experience is, to me, part of the real thrill. You may have walked in looking for X, but walked out with A instead (not even Y, which was closer to X, but a movie that someway, somehow caught your eye because a staff member decided to merchandise it on a "Staff Picks" endcap display you walked by.

The local video store is just down the street, after all, and it's a nice short healthy walk to get there. The experience itself of getting out, chatting with the staff there (soliciting their recommendations) and enjoying the walk there and back, is a worthwhile endeavour.


That's why I was glad to see Blockbuster offering an "all you can eat" style deal that far surpasses the limited selection of content online at Netflix.ca. 

Blockbuster Canada is offerings a FAVOURITES MOVIE PASS for $9.99.  It's a couple of dollars more expensive than Netflix, but it doesn't eat up any bandwidth (ie, other hidden costs) and you can get unlimited favourites movie rentals (1 movie at a time). It's flexible, too. So you can purchase a monthly pass on a month where you know you'll be watching a ton of movies, and not get it on a month you won't be renting any (unlike an online monthly subscription that automatically gets charged to your credit card)


I think this is a pretty big deal and represents an important strategic shift in bricks and mortar DVD/Blu-ray rental places that allows them to offer something fresh, new and relevant.  Kudos to them. They're reaching out and trying to offer customers the best of both worlds.

Da Count - Spreading Joy

Putting out merchandise on a sales floor is easy to do.  It's also relatively simple to make an attractive and effective display.

And when you have a product that is "box-like" and a simple rectangle, there are only so many ways you can configure the display, right?

Sure. But given variances in colour, for example, you can make an otherwise simple display into something a little more appealing, something a little more attractive, something a little more eyecatching . . .

. . . something that perhaps spreads a little joy.

I was delighted to see this display at my local Metro grocery store on Upper James in Hamilton.  So pleased, in fact, that I paused to take a picture of it.

It was simple, yet effective.  And it brought a smile to my face.

Yes, the snowmen on top added to it, but it was the configuration of the red and white Dr. Pepper cases that make this display. Not sure if it was a corporate marketing initiative or something implemented at the one store I visited, but it certainly was effective.

So I'd like to count those little things we encounter in our days, small, seemingly insignificant things that put a tiny little positive and pleasant feeling in our hearts. Retailers have that ability to do it by making simple choices when building their displays.

They can "move a product" but they can also "move a person."