Have you seen a Y2K end cap at Target or Kmart?

What sort of presence does your B. Dalton, Borders, or Barnes & Nobles give Y2K?

"Is there a business model that supports general public Y2K awareness?"

And if there isn't?...

~C~

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), April 21, 1999

Answers

What is an "end cap"?

-- Tom Carey (tomcarey@mindspring.com), April 21, 1999.

An end-cap is the end of the aisle where they put champagne at New years, Stove-top stuffing at Thanksgiving, loss-leader items, etc.

There's a bean, rice & milk endcap at my grocery store, which mystifies me. There's no margin in these items, and aside from Cinco De Mayo (Mexican Independence day), I can't think of any event that calls for rice & beans.

Well, there is one.......

Also, Walmart put 900 cans of tuna in a canoe last month, next to big stacks of 50lb bags of rice and beans. That was strange. There were pallets of tuna spread throughout the store, too.

-- Lisa (lisa@work.now), April 21, 1999.

JC Penney in San Jose CA has a whole advertising scheem through out the whole store "01-01-00" It appears to be the Motif de jour!!!

What ever sells works for them!!!

-- helium (heliumavid@yahoo.com), April 21, 1999.

You think the capitalist system won't adapt to sell its citizenry what they want? That adaptivity is another variable in the Y2K equation. GI's work in companies, and they will know what the consumer is looking for. GI?

need to go outside...

The Dog

-- Dog (desert dog @-sand.com), April 21, 1999.

Well DUH! Of course they will promote whatever you are buying. Whenever there is a virus scare, the anti-virus stuff hits the end of the aisles.

Now there is a Y2K scare. I have seen some places with pretty prominent displays of Y2K stuff. Doesn't indicate anything but that they have customers who are buying, or managers who are testing the waters.

-- Paul Davis (davisp1953@yahoo.com), April 21, 1999.

Helium,

I heard on the news some time ago that a guy trademarked "01-01-00" and was putting out all sorts of merchandise with this on it, thinking that people would buy lots of his stuff with this catchy trademark emblazoned on it. Haven't heard any news on how well or poorly he's doing at moving the merchandise.

-- Don (whytocay@hotmail.com), April 21, 1999.

Barnes & Noble in Manassass, VA has a Y2K end cap in the computer section. Books by Yourdon, Hyatt & others.

-- Bingo1 (howe9@pop.shentel.net), April 21, 1999.

Smart & Final in CA has a new endcap with pinto beans.

-- Debbie (dbspence@usa.net), April 21, 1999.

Judging from th prices the 01-01-00 trademark guy (I had a talk with his race driver last summer) did OK but the retailers who bought his stuff to sell in the Trend-y sections of the stores are taking a small bath. (LOLOL!!) Kohl's et al in our area have dropped the price PRECIPITATELY and mover the stuff to the bottom, back, etc. shelves.....

Chuck

-- chuck, a Night Driver (rienzoo@en.com), April 21, 1999.

My local Borders has a Y2K endcap of Armageddon books in the Religion section and a "Year 2000 Problem" shelf in the Computer Section.

The guy who runs the Bargain Books section has put on one table all of his cookbooks regarding pasta, charcoal grilling and wok cooking; as well as books on herb and vegetable gardening, and unusual uses for household products.

The Bargain Books guy also put on sale at 30% off Making the Best of Basics and the Encyclopedia of Country Living.

I have not seen any grocery store Y2K displays, but almost every week somebody has two cans of tuna for a dollar and a terrific deal on toilet paper.

-- GA Russell (garussell@russellga.com), April 21, 1999.

So,

Regards Y2K awarenes in retail channels, pretty much nada?

Yes, that pretty much sums it it up for now.(talking to myself, ZZZzzz...)

Zipedy doo-dah, zippedy-ay. My, oh my...

~C~

-- Critt Jarvis (middleground@critt.com), April 22, 1999.