farmdoc's blog post number 467

I’ve previously written of two principles I’ve invented (I think): the Bus Stop Principle and the Bucket Principle. Today’s post’s about another one. I haven’t finalised its name yet. I’m provisionally calling it the Spurlock Principle – after Morgan Spurlock (pictured) who wrote, directed and starred in the 2004 Academy Award nominated documentary Super Size Me. In a 30-day period (in February-March 2003), Spurlock ate only McDonalds food. But he also ‘super-sized’ his meal whenever he was asked to. Which is the essence of my theory – the Spurlock Principle – that if you buy a bigger container of something, you’re likely to use its contents faster than a smaller container’s. I haven’t tested this theory – at all let alone rigorously. And I probably won’t. Sweetheart Vivienne disagrees with it. I accept that Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. And I know that when Sweetheart Vivienne’s and my opinions on something differ, mostly she’s right. But to me it’s so logical. Basic human nature. Like the tendency to drive less economically if your tank’s full of fuel, than if it’s near empty. I’ve previously mentioned supermarket unit pricing. Obviously the larger the container, the lower the unit price. But buying a larger quantity may be false economy if it results in faster use. Ho hum.

farmdoc's blog post number 364

Last October I wrote of my supermarket aversion. Six months later, it’s still there. I usually shop at Woolworths in Deloraine weekly, and approaching the store I always feel trepidation. A sense of impending tussle – adversarial sparring – with a sophisticated and pervasive marketing monster. Them against me. Of course I’m aware of some of the tricks – aka marketing strategies – used by supermarkets to maximise impulsive/unplanned purchases of high profit-margin items: the type and tempo of background music, placing target items at eye-level (for adults or children), eye-catching packaging, signage (increasingly glued flat to the floor), price tags looking like prices are reduced when in fact they’re not, magazines and confectionery displays near the checkout. And others. Many others. All aiming to separate the suckers from their dollars. Recently I read here of another trick/strategy: reducing package size and/or product size without reducing price. I think it’s reprehensible. But I’ve no doubt the supermarkets would say it’s caveat emptor (i.e. let the buyer beware); and that the unit pricing they’re introducing should inform customers. But the unit pricing tags are so tiny it’s hard to read. And I don’t know who’d jot down unit prices to compare week-in-week-out. Logic dictates that treating customers with patronising contempt should backfire on the supermarkets. But I’m not holding my breath on it.