Tweet
Today is the day for the Grey Cup! It's Canada's version of the Super Bowl, but with crappier commercials and an actual football game. 
When I was looking up the kickoff time online I remembered a story from many moons ago, when I worked the sports departement at Canadian Tire.
It was the Grey Cup Sunday about 5 or 6 years ago, and I was covering breaks in Housewares. Most of the stuff the Housewares departement carried was small household stuff--mops, kitchen tools, batteries, some pots and pans, etc--some small appliances--nothing bigger than a toaster oven--and electronics--phones, CD players, VCRs, and a VERY limited selection of TV's.
I get a phone call while I'm covering breaks in Housewares, and this is the conversation, allowing for lapses in memory:
Me: Canadian Tire, Spiffy speaking.
SC: Yeah, do you guys sell TV's?
Me: Yes we do. What were you looking for?
SC: Well, I was looking for a big-screen TV.
Me: Hmmm...the biggest TV we carry is a 27 inch TV. (I think? Roughly? I can't remember. -S.McM.)
SC: Well that's no good! How can I watch the Grey Cup on a 27 inch? Are you sure you don't carry big-screen TVs?
Me: I'm very sure, sir.
SC: Well, you just lost a sale, then. *click*
After that phone call, I couldn't help but think:
1) If you want a big-screen TV to watch the game on, why would you wait until a couple of hours before kick-off?
2) How much money do you have when a big-screen TV becomes a splurge purchase?
3) How can we lose a sale on a product we don't carry?!?
When I was looking up the kickoff time online I remembered a story from many moons ago, when I worked the sports departement at Canadian Tire.It was the Grey Cup Sunday about 5 or 6 years ago, and I was covering breaks in Housewares. Most of the stuff the Housewares departement carried was small household stuff--mops, kitchen tools, batteries, some pots and pans, etc--some small appliances--nothing bigger than a toaster oven--and electronics--phones, CD players, VCRs, and a VERY limited selection of TV's.
I get a phone call while I'm covering breaks in Housewares, and this is the conversation, allowing for lapses in memory:
Me: Canadian Tire, Spiffy speaking.
SC: Yeah, do you guys sell TV's?
Me: Yes we do. What were you looking for?
SC: Well, I was looking for a big-screen TV.
Me: Hmmm...the biggest TV we carry is a 27 inch TV. (I think? Roughly? I can't remember. -S.McM.)
SC: Well that's no good! How can I watch the Grey Cup on a 27 inch? Are you sure you don't carry big-screen TVs?
Me: I'm very sure, sir.
SC: Well, you just lost a sale, then. *click*
After that phone call, I couldn't help but think:
1) If you want a big-screen TV to watch the game on, why would you wait until a couple of hours before kick-off?
2) How much money do you have when a big-screen TV becomes a splurge purchase?
3) How can we lose a sale on a product we don't carry?!?
Comment