– 20-90 per cent discounts store-wide! Really? Why? Is there a perception that the public is fooled by this tactic? There is the real risk of teaching the customer to mistrust ‘normal’ priced goods and encourage them to hold out for the concession to reach the merchandise they want. Has anybody bothered to monitor the customer’s thoughts on discounting or taken cognisance of their sense of being manipulated? Multiple Buys – Limited appeal and early obsolescence. Is there a danger of consumer resistance in preferring not to buy at all rather than pay an exorbitant single unit price? Helping remove the temptation of impulse by restricting the client to only buying if they require quantity. Mailers – Does anyone have the time or inclination to browse through more than a couple of pages before casting it aside? Who wants to read 20 pages of crammed small print and nondescript pictures? Postal deliveries are on the decline for good reason. Flyers? Yes. Catalogues? No. Shrieking Imbeciles – Are agencies still recommending that this dated technique works? Who enjoys these hysterical morons pushing deals that we cannot afford to miss? These TV ads are responsible for the public arming themselves with remote controls at the ready. Is it funny, attractive or doing the brand any favours? Black Friday, Mauve Monday, Teal Tuesday – Hype and fanfare promising more than it delivers. Does this retail fiasco rewards precious few who are forced to jump through hoops to get a bargain? What is the impact on the unrewarded loyal customer who refuses to compete in the senseless debacle between faithless opportunists? Do they see through the smoke and mirrors as clowns squirt water from false flowers, juggle bizarre product and walk precarious tightropes? The crock at the end of rainbow day sale is filled with something, but it isn’t gold. Instore Promoters – Creepy and annoying. Suppliers must be educated as to what is appropriate and kept updated to current trends. Most sellers have poor product knowledge and even less competitor awareness to enhance sales to the ever-wily shopper. All too often poorly located in front of other produce or high traffic areas. FSDU’s – What is the logic of Floor Stand Display Units placed in today’s tight aisles presenting the same commodity found on the shelf? They are nothing but potential trip hazards, inconveniences and dumping grounds. A few strategic units perhaps but never at the expense of the store’s flow and feel. Checkout Scratch & Wins – Why engage in detrimental interactions just as the customer is completing their purchase? How embarrassing is it to be confronted by a till operator offering charity scratch cards for the entire queue to hear and see who doesn’t take up the proposition. Is raising money from disconcerted patrons for selfish public relation coups applicable or should a retailer’s benefactions come from monies from the organisation’s efforts? Email/Text Advertising – This has to stop. If you’re not up to speed with the latest and most innovative technology and social media, leave well alone. It only serves to highlight how out of touch and irrelevant your name is to a fickle online market. Paraphernalia – How about balloons, streamers, tinsel, handwritten notices? They have a 30-minute lifespan, they degrade multi-million dollar ambiences and are an absolute hazard. Leave it to the professional design teams to produce integrated point of sale material – all else is just noise. Dave Farrell is a retailer with three decades of experience on three continents. He can be reached at alliance@vodafone.co.nz.