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Posted by Tom G on April 10, 2007, 1:47 am
> Awl--
>
>
> To wit:
> The volume of the rotozip case calc'd out to 1,824 cubic inches.
> What makes that significant is that a full *cubic foot* is a mere 1,728 cu
> in.
> What makes this even more striking is that a 5 gal bucket of joint
> compound, paint, etc. is only 1,155 cubic inches.
>
> So a cubic foot is no small volume.
>
> The box I wound up putting the whole of the Rotozip kit in was 250 cu in,
> and could have easily fit in a better-proportioned 200 cu. in.
>
> So lessee,
> 1800 divided by 200 is 9.
> Thus, the inflated the volume of this product by a factor of 9.
>
> Which is about the same factor by which the infomercial peeple inflated
> its usefulness.
>
> This inflated-volume technique is widespread in Costco, Sears, Sam'sClub,
> HD, etc, where "509 piece kits" of whatever super tool is at hand, when
> all dumped in a paper bag, fit into a very small paper bag indeed.
> Yet the display is enormous, for artfully good reason.
> And which, even for a perenially PV'd cynic and semi-experienced shop rat
> as myself, are enticing and at times near-intoxicating.
Having worked a number of years at Sears, I suspect the oversize packaging
is aimed more at deterring shop lifters than enticing buyers to buy. Chase
a shop lifter running with one of these gigantic boxes and he/she will
likely drop it to run faster. Also easier to see them walking out the door
with the merchandise and easier to cable a bunch of them together to prevent
the snatch and run in the first place. Of course this still won't the stop
the dedicated shop lifter.
Tom G.
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