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| April Fool's Day Special Report: |
Publishers/Printers Call for Skyscrapers at Retail Checkouts, Self-Scanners "Must Go" April 1, 2003 -- (reprinted with permission from the Wall Street Times) -- Printers and publishers of consumer magazines want more space at the checkout. Consumer magazines are being pushed out of the highly desirable checkout lines at grocery stores and mass merchants by snack food products and even pet food. Publishers and printers have code named the campaign "Get Purina." Publishers have complained for years about the space taken away by unhealthy products like candies, gum, and snacks. Sources say a promotional campaign is in the works to take back the checkout space. "All these foods are fattening and should be replaced by products that feed the mind," say publishers. Supporters believe there is more profit in selling magazines and expect to educate retailers in a nationwide road show starting this summer. One goal of the Get Purina campaign is to share new designs for magazine displays, including one with mechanical rotating racks. Merchants have pushed for lower displays so sales clerks can make eye contact with customers waiting in line. Says one publishing executive, "These racks would rotate up and down and would be as high as the ceiling of the merchant. It provides animation (movement) and invites interaction from the shopper." The skyscraper racks would hold up to 10 times as many magazines. Marcus Neeman, a retail analyst at Merril Lynch, noted that this program misfires against the problem and is potentially dangerous. "The prototype looks like a ride at Six Flags and is an accident waiting to happen." Another obstacle for publishers is the growing use of self-scanners allowing shoppers to check themselves out quickly. Neeman says self-scanners save the retailers time, space and money by having fewer employees. "One clerk can usually manage four lanes at once." "This trend must be stopped," said a publisher based in Washington D.C. "Studies show that there is more profit for the retailer by having more items near the checkout. Also, most shoppers prefer the customer service that an actual employee can provide as opposed to some machine." For more information, visit www.getpurina.org - Back to the April Fool's Home Page Special Note: All these stories are presented in the true spirit of April Fool's Day. None of these stories are true, nor are they intended to reflect the strategy and intent of any real person or company. Our purpose with the April Fool's Edition is to elicit a smile, and we hope you will enjoy our spoof! We are an Equal Opportunity Offender: Our contributors name many industry companies in their stories, none of which should be taken seriously. Please offer your feedback. This was a collective effort by many of our contributors. We decided a universal byline was best since so many helped with each story. Thanks to Gail Nickel-Kailing, Molly Joss, Frank Romano, Cary Sherburne, CAP Ventures, Bill Farquharson, Noel Ward, John Dunn, Paul White, Dr. Joe Webb, Robert FitzPatrick, Steve Aranoff, Vince Marini, Jeremy Smith, John Zarwan |
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