Sign
says it, so it must be true. The store has all of my essentials…
Eggs
Milk
Toilet Paper
Frozen Pizza
Wait.
Frozen pizza?
Yup.
Frozen pizza. One of my essentials. It’s there in writing. On
a sign. Reading provided while I use the gas pump. Says the convenience
store has my essentials, and kindly lists them off (just in case
I might need a memory jogger). Frozen pizza.
And…
yeah… no.
It
gets me wondering though. What would you include in a list of
essentials? And, perhaps more directly to this concept of frozen
pizza and gas station reminders, what would your list include
if you were creating a generic list that should apply to most
people?
It’s
the disconnect between those two questions that I think has me
thinking about this today. If someone has their own list, and
that list is made up of eggs, milk, toilet paper and frozen pizza,
then that’s fine. But the sign says “your” essentials, meaning
my essentials, and nope. This doesn’t cover it. Which means the
person writing it didn’t write it for me. And frozen pizza? That
hardly sounds like it was written for you (well, most of you).
Two
things to keep in mind here. First, we’re discussing a convenience
store. We have to go with a limited inventory of potential essentials.
I doubt if I’m going to find a varied selection of anything inside.
Second, you may enjoy a steady run of frozen pizza in your home.
Milk might be the item you find odd. All this combines to a limited
inventory being combed over for different tastes.
For
our attempt at a list of essentials, we need to create for the
masses. The sign needs to connect with more than one person’s
home, needs to connect most of the items with most people, and
needs to do so from a narrow variety of choices.
Milk,
juice, eggs and bread would make up a nice batch to start with.
Some of the staples. Next, we might want to grab a few snacks
such as cookies, ice cream and chips. I actually like the idea
of toilet paper being included originally, as it slides into some
of the items like dishwashing liquid and paper towels that one
might need.
And
those examples might be enough. Because the simple reality is
that something between potato chips and ice cream is quite likely
far more essential from a convenience store shopping run than
frozen pizza.
Right?
Has
to be. Yes? Well, what are the most popular items for a convenience
store?
Did
you know there are places that study the most frequently purchased
items in convenience stores? You might not have thought about
it before, but chances are good that once you hear that places
keep track it likely makes sense. They want to make sales, and
someone should be checking to see what we’re purchasing.
Did
you know that almost any source you select won’t place eggs, milk,
toilet paper or frozen pizza in the top five categories? True.
Tobacco is usually the number one item. Beer, lottery tickets,
beverages of the non-alcoholic sort, snacks and candy, and then
gas along with assorted auto supplies usually combine in some
fashion to make up the top five or six categories. Again, just
a guess, but once I say that lottery tickets, cigarettes and a
hot coffee are some of the most popular items purchased, there
likely are going to be a lot of understanding nods.
So,
if we’re making a list of items (and perhaps want to avoid cigarettes
and beer from our appeal to everyone), our best list will involve
things like scratch tickets, energy drinks, tortilla chips and
chocolate bars. Even over-the-counter medications, for pain and
colds and more, would register well ahead of frozen pizza. (Heck,
honestly, even hot pizza from assorted prepared food options is
likely a better option than frozen pizza.)
I’d
adjust it to be milk, bread, snacks and toilet paper. Maybe swap
in lottery tickets. That seems to cover more of the popular grounds
and base necessities. But get the frozen pizza out of there.
Ok,
that’s done. Anyone want to head out for something to eat?