2002-03-16 I don't really think vendors really suffer any major long-term disadvantage when they switch to metric. That might be an unproven perceived fear. People shop at places they have been for years for various reasons. It is close to home. They get a fair deal. They know the staff. And I'm sure we can think of others. If there is a disadvantage, it will only last a very short time.
I'm sure British shoppers, like those here will not always shop in one store but will visit many stores looking for bargains and variety. If all of the shops are selling in metric then where is a patron to run if that is an issue? And how long can that be an issue? Plus, what percentage of patrons actually ask for products by weight compared to just walking in and picking a can or box of this and/or that off the shelf? How much is the shoppers time in the store is in dealing with weighed items? Does it make that much of a difference? If a store is doing a good business, they really don't care if they lose a few shoppers, especially if those shoppers are nuisance shoppers. The reason being, you can never satisfy your customers 100 % and some will go elsewhere. But, by the same token, your competitor will also experience the same thing and lose some to you. I have a friend who works in a grocery chain in the Cleveland area as a manager. A few years back the stores introduced "frequent buying cards" for their shoppers, who are offered discounts on select items for using the card. With the card they are able to track a patrons buying habits. To make a long story short, they found that most of the people who bellyache about every little thing are not big spenders. So, there is really no desire to appease these people at all. In fact, the store wishes they would go elsewhere. The connection with metric, is maybe those who would make an issue out of it are not big spenders anyway and are just trying to be a nuisance. I think that Chris might have been better off if he didn't put that line in about disadvantage in his original letter. Now, he might have opened up a can of worms. john ----- Original Message ----- From: "James R. Frysinger" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Saturday, 2002-03-16 08:57 Subject: [USMA:18781] Re: Reply in Times > A disadvantage to sell in metric? Yes, until the people automatically > think in metric terms. But unfair? No, because that is the law. Fairness > has to do with following rules, or in this case the law. > > Jim > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > To my letter. See > > http://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/0,,59-237220,00.html > > > > Chris > > > > -- > > UK Metric Association: http://www.metric.org.uk/ > > -- > Metric Methods(SM) "Don't be late to metricate!" > James R. Frysinger, CAMS http://www.metricmethods.com/ > 10 Captiva Row e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Charleston, SC 29407 phone/FAX: 843.225.6789 >
