Notes: Bar Code Turns 35; A Different Kind of Inventory Shrinkage
Today's New York Times offered an ode to the bar code, which was introduced 35 years ago. The story focused on the UPC, used mainly in general retail, and not as sophisticated as the book industry's own 13-digit standard. The bar code inventor, a former IBM engineer, recalled that a review committee approved the idea but was "absolutely sure" that the bar code wouldn't last. The first clerk to swipe a product with a bar code, on June 26, 1974, remembered her 15 minutes of binary fame.
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In a sign of how the lousy economy is affecting inventory control, many general retailers are cutting back on what used to be "an ever-expanding array of products in different brands, sizes, colors, flavors, fragrances and prices," the Wall Street Journal reported. Among examples: "Walgreen Co. is cutting the types of superglues it carries to 11 from 25. Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has decided that 24 different tape measures is 20 too many. Kroger Co. has tested stripping out about 30% of its cereal varieties." In all, the assortment of products in general retail stores is expected to fall 15%.
Among the reasons for the change: retailers "are trying to cater to budget-conscious shoppers who want to simplify shopping trips and stick to familiar products. Retailers have found that eliminating certain products can lift sales and profits, in part by cutting excess inventory and making more room for house brands."
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In a story about Prairie Home Companion's 35th anniversary, in Express Night Out, Garrison Keillor commented that Common Good Books, St. Paul, Minn., which he opened in 2006, "is sort of slowly making its way. I don't know. It's not making money. Nobody makes money with bookstores."
He continued: "I love bookstores. I love to hold books in my hand. And to give that up is painful. It's like if Minnesota passed a law against fishing, it wouldn't affect the food supply that much. You know, if we passed a law against guys going out in a boat with a rod and a reel and bait and fishing for sunfish and crappies, people would still eat, nobody would go hungry who hadn't before. But it'd be painful. It's a part of our culture."
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Earlier this week, when former Vermont Governor Howard Dean was preparing for an appearance on the Colbert Report to talk about his new title, Howard Dean's Prescription for Real Healthcare Reform, the book wasn't ready yet. So his publisher, Chelsea Green, White River Junction, Vt., asked Northshire Bookstore, Manchester Center, Vt., to brew three copies on its Espresso Book Machine. As a result, Dean had his book to carry onto the set. Chelsea Green president Margo Baldwin commented, "Northshire did a terrific job of expediting the books and getting them shipped to Howard . . . the quality was quite good!"
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A Valentine's Day visit to Maine from Minnesota in 2004 changed the lives of Trish and Gary Koch forever. "Within four hours, we were talking to a realtor," said Trish, though it would take time before they moved east and even longer to become booksellers.
Seacoastonline.com profiled the owners of the Kennebunk bookshop Kennebooks, which opened May 25, and noted that the setup is "all part of a plan [Trish] has for keeping the store open year-round and a vibrant part of the community. She also plans to start book clubs for everyone from pre-teens to adults, as well as offer her meeting space for other area book clubs."
"I'm a dreamer," she said. "I think we're going in the right direction."
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RIP Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett.