It's only a reduction of 6.993%, but it's better than nothing

Lingonberry Fruit Spread display at IKEA

Ligonberry Spread "New lower price" sign

Lingonberry Fruit Spread jar

Price reduction on the shelf tag

Sunday afternoon I was at IKEA. (More wooden hangers for my kid's closet.) I saw this sign in the Swedish Marketplace section.

A price reduction, not a huge one, but a price reduction nevertheless. Given the recent new about inflation, any price reduction is worth shouting about. And in addition to the price reduction, the product had a pretty prime spot and there was lots of stock on the floor.

But the price reduction didn't change my buying behaviour. (Already had a full jar at home. Didn't need another one just yet.)

 

Does "Good stuff" mean "Good for you"?

Coca-Cola brand insulated neoprene can sleeve

According to the Coca-Cola website, Coca-Cola is made with "CARBONATED WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CARAMEL COLOR, PHOSPHORIC ACID, NATURAL FLAVORS, CAFFEINE". (Source: https://www.coca-cola.com/us/en/brands/coca-cola/products/original#accordion-c55f229edc-item-93131ee8b3) 

I'm not 100% sure that everyone would agree that the ingredients listed above are all "good stuff".

While everything listed on the label has been approved for human consumption, many people feel that an ingredient like high fructose corn syrup is an inferior sweetener to cane sugar. 

Most consumers would be surprised that 90% of the phosphoric acid production ends up in fertilizers, and yet it is still an ingredient in products deemed safe for human consumption. 

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) categorizes caffeine as "generally recognized as safe".  Hardly an overwhelming endorsement.

As American poet John Godfrey Saxe said in 1869, "Laws, like sausages, cease to inspire respect in proportion as we know how they are made".   (The quote is most often attributed to Otto von Bismark and reported as, "Laws are like sausages. It is best not to see them being made". But there is no evidence that Bismark ever said it.) 

I'm sure if we looked hard enough at many things we consume, we'd change our eating habits.

Where is this really made?

Buderim Ginger Beer can 

Manufacturing Information on Buderim Ginger Beer can

"Crafted in Australia" on Buderim Ginger Beer can

Okay, I'm confused. Buderim is an Australian brand. The can says it is, "Made With Fresh Australian Ginger Juice". The can is printed with "CRAFTED IN AUSTRALIA". Sounds like it is an Australian product. 

But the adhesive label stuck on the can says that it is "Manufactured in Airdrie, Alberta". That would seem to mean that empty cans are shipped from Australia, filled in Canada, and the big adhesive label is attached. How does that make any sense at all? 

Ocean shipping is generally charged by volume, not by weight. Is it that much cheaper to brew this ginger beer in Canada, using ingredients imported from Australia?

I think this product is manufactured in Canada, but the packaging is very confusing. (And surely that is against the law.)

Are DVDs dead?

DVD on sale at 50% off at London Drugs

 

The DVD section at London Drugs

There is something to be said for owning a physical product and being able to touch it, read the credits etc. (Perhaps one of the reasons that vinyl has made such a comeback.) 

But these days most films are available via one of the many streaming services. And that seems to have led to a decline in the demand for DVDs. But I find this odd. 

As anyone who uses a streaming service will have observed, it is not uncommon for films to drift in and out of availability. Old films are suddenly available, and viewers are also faced with the "Leaving Soon" warning for more recent releases.

If you want to be able to watch a film, you really need to own it in a physical format. So, if you want to flesh out your film library, and be able to watch those titles in the future, this clearance sale at London Drugs may be worth a visit.

So obviously done by AI

 

I was on then site for an audio retailer and they had an article about cables. "Are cables important in audio?"

I clicked on the link only to be confronted by this abomination of an illustration. 

Everything on the page looks as if it has been rescued from a fire. The guitars are missing strings and ironically, nothing that needs a cable is actually connected via cable.

The problem with AI generated illustration is that you need someone with experience and a good eye to be able to write the prompts and tell the AI wants is wrong. Of course, it would be so much easier to just get a real illustrator or photographer to do the piece in the first place. And the end result would be much better.

I've never seen this before, but I expect to see more of this in the future

Lassonde advertisement
(Source: The Globe and Mail, March 15, 2025)

The tariff war between the US and Canada, and between the US and just about everywhere else, is dramatically changing the marketing landscape in Canada.

Firms that are Canadian previously didn't make a big deal about it, but they are now taking out full page advertisements to proclaim their Canadian ownership. I'm sure that they are hoping that this will increase their marketshare. Well, they are getting more business from me.

PS I teach International Business courses. Every day I wonder what fresh chaos the news has delivered. I wonder how any firm can have any strategy at all, let alone a long-term strategy.

What makes a mover "professional"?

Small Moves truck

I saw this truck today. The terminology is confusing.

I think we can define "Experienced", and there may even be a way of categorizing and quantifying it. Over one year of experience, over two years etc.

But how do we define "Professional"? All that word means is that someone is paid to perform the task. Since no moving truck is staffed by volunteers, any moving company can make the claim that its movers are "Professional".

"Experienced, Professional Movers" is probably supposed to be a reassuring term, but lacking any objective justification, it is pretty meaningless.