Still "Takin' Care of Business"

Randy Bachman and hundreds of guitarists at Robson Square, Vancouver, BC

Randy Bachman at Robson Square, Vancouver, BC

Randy Bachman at Robson Square, Vancouver, BC

A few of the hundreds of guitars at Robson Square, Vancouver, BC

In June 1994, Randy Bachman attempted to set a world record for the most guitarists playing the same song at the same time.

The song, "Takin' Care of Business" was Bachman Turner Overdrive's biggest hit, and as of 2011 remained Sony Music's most licensed song.

Office Depot, on of the sponsors of this record attempt,  is just one of the firms that has licensed the song for its advertisements.

"Takin' Care of Business" remains one of Canada's most iconic rock songs, and businesses continue to license it for its underlying message;  just doing what it takes to get things done.

Randy Bachman continue to be a force in the music industry and hosts a weekly show, "Vinyl Tap" on CBC radio. Well worth a listen.

Too late and the wrong look

Advertisement in the window of Showcase Pianos, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC

On December 18th I saw this sign in the window of Showcase Pianos on West Broadway in Vancouver.

Apart from the fact that, according to the sign, the sale finished three days earlier, the whole look of the advertisement does not really seem a good fit with a store that sells pianos that list for over $200,000.

Blowout implies that you are selling off the undesirable products that no one is interested in. Not really the sort of sentiment that want to attach to a handbuilt Italian piano. The animation on the firm's website is not much classier.

Annimation on the Showcase Pianos website (December 29, 2015) 

Source: http://www.showcasepianos.com/sale.html?gclid=Cj0KEQiA-4i0BRCaudDcrrnDi6kBEiQAZSh5f1y4WzxBdei8llgRA2sjUiF6wvvZf0pC47_CxruFnCoaAtK18P8HAQ

I know this firm can do better and I look forward to marketing materials that match the quality of the pianos that Showcase sells.

Recruiting with a bit of honesty

Recruitment sign at McDonald's, Broadway and Cambie, Vancouver, BC

So, as part of the management team at McDonald's my salary will start at $14.50 per hour. (For a 40-hour week that works out to $30,160 per year.) That does not sound too bad given that British Columbia's minimum wage is $10.45 per hour.

In some places that would be a reasonable salary and you could afford to rent a nice apartment. But in Vancouver the situation is a bit different. According to August 2015 story on Global TV for $1200 per month in Vancouver you can get a 550 square foot basement bachelor apartment. This means that after tax your cost of accommodation will be over 60% of your take-home pay.

It is no wonder that businesses in the hospitality industry have a hard time finding and keeping staff.

A great concept from a local firm

Vancouver Candle Company display at The Hudson's Bay, Vancouver, BC

Point Grey fragrance candle at Vancouver Candle Company display at The Hudson's Bay, Vancouver, BC

Founded in 2014, the Vancouver Candle Company offers a range of seven different candle fragrances. Each fragrance is named after a Vancouver neighbourhood.

I think this a great way to give the products some personality. The boxed candles, 60-hour burn time, sell for $35.00, and smaller 30-hour candles in tins sell for $20.00.

Order that makes no sense

Glove dispensers, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC

I saw these glove dispensers in the emergency treatment area at the Vancouver General Hospital. For the life of me I can't figure out why the gloves are in this order.

It would make sense if the order was, from the top, small-medium-large, or large-medium-small. The latter makes sense because shorter people are likely to have smaller hands.

But given that I saw gloves in other areas of the hospital in size order (small-medium-large), this makes no sense to me at all. I'm sure there is a reason, but for the life of me I can't figure out what it might be.

At it again

Advertisement for Metrotown Shopping Centre (Photo taken December 23, 2015)

Detail of advertisement for Metrotown Shopping Centre (Photo taken December 23, 2015)

Metrotown seems to have a lock on this space on the lowest level at the Granville SkyTrain station. But if the mall is so closely identified with the space, then why not make sure the advertisements are current?

Promoting a contest 10 days after it has closed does nobody any favours.,

When is a brand name not a brand name?

Storage bin for "Bandaids", Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver , BC

It happened to "refrigerator" and "escalator". Is it going to happen to "Bandaid"?

All three words were registered trademarks at one time, but the first two have become generic terms for the technology. Bandaid is fighting this, but I suspect that the battle will eventually be lost and "Bandaid"  will become bandaid.

I'm sure it is just a coincidence

Earbuds at Dollarama

Beats earbuds
(Source: http://www.usmusiclife.com/)

Beats is one of the best known brands in audio. Founded by Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, in 2014 Beats was purchased by Apple for $3 billion USD.

And like any leading brand, Beats has spawned imitators. Some firms are producing outright counterfeits of Beats products, while others, such as Dollarama, are mimicking the "look and feel" of Beats products.

The shape and colour of these $3.00 earbuds is obviously meant to resemble Beats. But the design is far enough from the original that Dollarama will likely avoid legal action.

And though the exterior is similar to the Beats products I doubt that the sound will resemble the original. But for $3.00 what do you expect?

Getting it wrong, again

Events Calendar at Toys R Us, West Broadway, Vancouver, BC
(Photo taken December 18, 2015)

This is the second or third time that I've taken a photo of the out-of-date events calendar at the Toys R Us store in Vancouver.

If you can't keep it up to date, then just get rid of it. But if you are determined to leave the calendar up, then you MUST keep it current.

Honesty is a lovely thing

After-hours flower display

Sign on after-hours flower display

Last week I saw this after-hours flower display. While I was watching I saw a woman pick three of the bouquets from the cabinet, write out a cheque, and slide it under the door.

That the flower shop proprietor would trust the people in the neighbourhood, and that the people in the neighbourhood would not abuse that trust is pretty remarkable. (And here I've just remarked on it.)

A bit of a poke in the eye for the old firm

Kit and Ace advertising on transit shelter, Vancouver, BC

Chip Wilson founded Lululemon, but was then tossed by the board.

So he founded Kit and Ace, a firm run by his wife and son. The firm is known for its "technical cashmere", a slightly more mainstream take on a luxury material.

And now Kit and Ace is expanding at a feverish pace, with over 50 locations and more in the works.

This poster, located right outside the Lululemon lab store at Broadway and Cambie, is a bit of a poke in the eye for the old firm. Especially since "technical cashmere" was a concept that the Lululemon board turned down on at least two occasions.

Oh well. I'm sure that Lululemon has something in the works to fill the gap when no one wants yoga pants any more. (Or I'm sure that the Lululemon board hopes there is something in the pipeline to fill that gap.)

Look after the pennies and the dollars will look after themselves

Notice for the staff at Dollarama

Notice for the staff at Dollarama (Detail)

Many retailers in Canada, especially grocery stores, have started to charge for shopping bags. (The cost is usually 5 cents, although the retailer's cost per bag is a fraction of that.) So far Dollarama has resisted this trend and is still providing bags for free.

I was in a Dollarama store last week and saw this notice for the staff.   (As you can see from the top photo, the notice was not obviously visible to customers, but being the insatiably curious person that I am I saw the notice and took this photo on the sly.)

If 50% of customers supply their own bags, it could save Dollarama close to $1,000,000 per year. I'd take that payback anytime.

Welcome to your cardboard display on a pallet at the grocery store

Katy Perry "Killer Queen" fragrance

Lady Gaga "GAGA" fragrance

Halle Berry fragrance

Justin Bieber "The Key" fragrance

Beyonce "Heat" fragrance

Taylor Swift fragrance

Coco Chanel started it all, and with the proceeds of sales of No. 5 she was set for life. Today any celebrity worth their two-page spread in People has a fragrance.

The fact that fragrances were stacked on an ugly cardboard display on a pallet does somewhat detract from their desirability, but I'm sure that they'll all sell out by Christmas.

Keeping the local in a local newspaper

Back cover of The Undercurrent, Bowen Island, BC

The local Bowen Island newspaper recently increased its retail price to $1.00. I really like this advertisement that ran on the back of the newspaper to reinforce the value that you are getting for $1.00 and also how connected the newspaper is with the community. All six photos in the advertisement depict something that can be purchased on Bowen Island for $1.00.

Is local media suffering? Pretty much all over the world. But the media that remains connected to its local community is probably more likely to survive.

It's winter, time to keep that door propped open

Lululemon store, Burrard Street and Robson Street, Vancouver, BC

Lululemon talks about being an environmentally conscious firm. It is a pity that the message doesn't make it down to the retail stores.

I took this photo on November 30, 2015. This was one of the coldest days of the year in Vancouver. Vancouverites were walking around in the down parka and moaning about the wind. And what was Lululemon's response to this bout of early winter weather? Open the door and crank up the heat.

A classic case of "do what I say, not what I do".

If you can't trust Google, who can you trust?

Sign on the door at The Real Canadian Superstore, Grandview Highway, Vancouver, BC

Sign on the door at The Real Canadian Superstore, Grandview Highway, Vancouver, BC (Detail)

I can't say that I disagree with the sign. The open hours for a retail store are important. Get them wrong and either customers have to wait for the door to open, or they turn up 5 minutes after it has closed.

This sign show two problems.

1. Information on Google can't be trusted.
2. Retailers have no easy way to correct the information on Google.

I will be interesting to see what Google has to say about this problem.

Will Amazon keep the post office alive?

Canada Post promotion, Burrard and West Georgia, Vancouver, BC

These charming folks were in downtown Vancouver last week. With Canada Post's FlexDelivery service you can arrange to get your packages delivered to an address other than your home, and thus keep your Christmas deliveries a secret.

It is interesting that flexible package delivery is a big selling point for Canada Post after it just announced that all door-to-door mail delivery was being cancelled. For bills and junk mail there are lots of electronic alternatives, but for a package from Amazon there is no alternative to the real thing.

Three days and no one noticed

Error message on SkyTrain video display

Error message on SkyTrain video display (Detail)

Earlier this week I saw this error message on the video display at the Renfrew SkyTrain station in Vancouver.

Does Lamar, the firm that runs the video system, have no way of knowing if the system is malfunctioning? Or does Lamar just not care?

Making promises is risky

Shefield Express, Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver, BC
(Photo taken December 7, 2015)

Opening new retail stores is always a tricky proposition. There are hundreds or even thousands of details that can derail the process.

But is a business is going to make a public promise about the opening date, then they had better be prepared for some grief if they miss the date.

This store was supposed to be open in December 1, 2015, but it looks as if it will be at least a week late. Construction work was still going on and the shelves were empty. Oh well, what is a few more days.

A sad effort in a prime location

Display window at Loft, Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver, BC

Display windows are a critical tool for retailers. A striking window will get customer's attention and bring traffic into the store.

This sad effort will do nothing. Although it faces Marine Drive, with thousands of vehicles going by, there seems to be little effort exerted to make this visually appealing. I have no idea if this is a work in progress and the rest of the display is still to be installed, but it looked abandoned.

The windows for adjacent retailers were much more compelling.

Display window at Sephora, Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver, BC

Display window for Aritzia, Park Royal Shopping Centre, West Vancouver, BC

Not the message that you want to send

"Blue screen of death", Vancouver, BC

I saw this "blue screen of death" on a computer displaying student work at a Vancouver post-secondary institution that teaches computer graphics courses.

Yes, I know that this is beyond the responsibility of the school, but it is still creates a poor image for a school that goes on about how up-to-date its courses and equipment are.

Is this another example of  "do as I say, not as I do"?

I love honest retailers

Sign in the window at "Out of the Blue", Bowen Island, BC

Sign outside "Out of the Blue", Bowen Island, BC

I've commented on retailer who have a big sign in the windows that says that everything is on sale, accompanied by an asterisk and fine print that says that there are exceptions.

I love the honesty of this sign. Full marks to the retailer for telling it like it is. I wish more retailers were this forthcoming.

A great way to show versatility

ASUS advertisement on elevator, Pacific Centre, Vancouver, BC

Increasingly the line between laptops and tablets is disappearing. Tablets are beginning larger and more capable, and laptops are including touch screens.

The result of this convergent evolution is hybrid devices that can be either a laptop or a tablet.

This elevator advertisement is an interesting, although somewhat predictable, way to show how the screen and keyboard can be taken apart and recombined.

What the heck is a "Jolly Burger"?

Billboard outside McDonald's location, Grandview Highway, Vancouver, BC

I saw this billboard last week. I'm confused. It seem that every couple of weeks McDonald's rolls about a new item on the menu. Some are permanent additions (McCafe) and others (Jolly Burger) are temporary additions.

Every new item means additional training costs for franchise owners, more time at the cash register to explain the menu options, and confused customers.

I think that McDOnald's has long since passed the "sweet spot" in menu variety. All of the additional, and often temporary, choices confuse customers. It takes too much effort to educate consumers about the new options, and then when the slow sellers are pulled off the menu there is an outcry.

McDonald's should pick a market niche and do it well.

It will be a hard journey

Facebook post from Volkswagen Canada
(Source: https://www.facebook.com/vwcanada)

Volkswagen (VW) is in big trouble. And today's posting on Facebook (above) is an indication.

German businesses are not really known for their laissez faire attitude towards underlings making major decisions without supervision and approval. As a result, most us find it very hard to believe that the emissions fiasco could have occurred without people at the top having some knowledge.

If VW wants to continue as one of the biggest and most respected automobile manufacturers in the world then there is going to have be a whole lot of grovelling and explaining going on. This is small part of the process.

There will be many more.

Pity there are no trees in Western Canada

Christmas trees, The Real Canadian Store, Grandview Highway, Vancouver, BC

Product tag on christmas tree, The Real Canadian Store, Grandview Highway, Vancouver, BC

Western Canada is awash with trees, a fact included in Monty Python's "Lumberjack Song" ("As they float down the mighty rivers of British Columbia".)

Yet with all of the evergreen trees available in Western Canada there are evidently none that can be used as Christmas trees. So The Real Canadian Superstore has to import Christmas trees from Oregon. Kirk, a Tacoma, Washington-based firm serves all of western North America from it operations in Oregon. (Operations in North Carolina, and Nova Scotia serves the east.)

My question is, why can't Canadians grow Christmas trees for customers in Vancouver?