Tag Archives: merchandising

Star Wars Merch Madness

star wars cover girlChances are, you are reading this on your mobile device as you stand in line for Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But probably not.

This is the day fans have been waiting for, and their passion for all things Star Wars reaches well beyond the multiplex. You’ll find star Wars in your breakfast cereal, your video games, your bedsheets…basically everywhere. As Darth Vader once said (sorta) “The branding is strong with this one…”

Here is a collection of some of the more interesting Star Wars items for sale, as compiled by NBC News.

  • CoverGirl’s Star Wars Collection
  • Star Wars Crocs
  • Star Wars Creamers by Coffee-mate
  • HP Star Wars Special Edition Laptop
  • Kraft Macaroni & Cheese Dinner – Star Wars Shapes
  • Star Wars-branded fruit

So, is there a saturation point for this kind of thing? Is there such a thing as the merchandising “going too far”? Maybe. There already seems to be a backlash growing over that last item:

Consumers are rebelling against ‘Star Wars’ branded fruits and vegetables

As Darth Vader might also have said, “I find your lack of faith in Star Wars-branded fruit and vegetables…disturbing.”

How about you? Are you on board with all the Star Wars merch? How much is too much? Me, I’m so disgusted that I will only see the new movie 6 or 7 times in protest!! Have a good weekend – see you in line!

Storewide Sensory Overload!

"Don't worry, dear. According to the article, Red means savings!"
“Don’t worry, dear. According to the article, Red means savings!”

Merchandising or manipulation? It’s probably a bit of both. We’re talking about the ways retailers place items on the shelves as well as the ways they modify the store’s lighting, music and even smells. This is all in an attempt to alter your buying behavior, usually meaning making you spend more money! And if you’re trying to cut back – and who isn’t? – it may be helpful to learn some of their tricks.

Here are some of the retailers’ Sensory Weapons:

Color: Colors have different associations and those things tend to get people going. So, for example, red is almost always the color associated with sales because it inspires people to take action and it’s a stimulating sort of color. Lifehacker

Touch: We are more likely to buy something if we touch it. And, oddly, if the display is too neat or fancy, we shy away. It reminds me of the big healthcare tub display at the checkout of my local Walmart – a big tub with a huge variety of 88-cent aspirin, nasal spray and bandages literally dumped in. It’s a glorious mess, (below) and I can’t keep my hands out of it!

Who am I to resist?
Who am I to resist?

Music: It depends on what the retailer wants you to do. Sometimes they want you to move through a place quickly (like a fast food restaurant), while other times they want you to linger. Lifehacker

Layout: It could be the grocery store that moves everything every six months to make you discover new items to buy. Or a really specific example such as Ikea – which has a definite In and Out door, and a specific path we must take to get from one to the other.

Smell: yes, even smell. Smell has a strong tie to memory (Personal smell note: Fresh cut grass = first day of kindergarten.) If the retailer can connect with a memory, it’s a sale!

I guess you could make a counter argument… that all of this sensory experience is part of the fun of shopping. (I’m told some people enjoy shopping, anyway.) What do YOU think? And check out the original article!