The Lucknow Sentinel, 1988-04-13, Page 4Page 4—Luclmow Sentinel, Wednesday, April 13, 1988
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Everything is "on sale"
In all likelihood, very few consumers these days are paying "full
retail price" for anything: The reason for this is the fact that, as a sales
tool, everything is on sale at one time or another.
When was the last time you bought something at the regular price,
when you needed' it, rather than buying it on sale' when you didn't?
This ploy of offering things "on sale" all the time is becoming so com-
mon that it is becoming more and more difficult to find that really good
deal very often.
What many stores do, and we'd have to single out grocery stores as
the culprit more often then not, is mark Itoms up anywhere from 50 to
300 per cent from the wholesale price, then offer It ."on sale" at 10 per-
cent off.
Coupons have become another way which stores entice consumers to
buy Items they may never need simply because they are "on sale".
Presenting a coupon to receive five cents off a can of soup is now the
only way to shop.
Chances are you'll buy the soup at this reduced price just because It's
on sale.
What the grocery stores are dust now starting to realize is that these
coupons are becoming more of a hassle then they are worth in actual
sales.
Case In point: the four major supermarket chains in Canada have now
stopped accepting competitors coupons. Loblaws joined A and P, Domi-
nion and Miracle Food Mart in the decision to disregard the other
guy's coupons earlier this week.
Could this signal a return to having consumers see an item they want,
looking at the price on the Rem, and them paying that price?
If this is the case, finally shopping will be made easter for us. Maybe
the day will soon come when everything is marked at the price the
seller will accept for it and that will be It. None of this "on sale" stuff
which must increase the price of the produce just to offset the cost of
printing coupons and sales flyers.
The move by the major food chains, which initially appears as bad for
the consumer, could be good in the long run If it helps reduce the cost of
the items by stopping the expensive "sales" pitches.
By Rob Bundy
I had a great idea this week and while
that m itself is news worthy, it is the idea
itself that I'd like to bring to your
attention.
There has been great discussion and
speculation as to what type of business, if
any, will spring up in the vacant building
on Lucknow's main street beside Um-
bach's Pharmacy. ,
Linda over at Becker's is hoping with all
her might that it isn't a Mac's Milk Store,
while Diane at the Super Scoop is un-
doubtedly praying it isn't another food
counter.
Personally, I hope it isn't the Toronto
Star or Globe and Mail opening up a
branch office and printing press.
Anyway, here's my idea, for what it's
worth. I know as soon as this idea is out in
the open that investors will be lined up on
my doorstep, money in hand with hopes of
getting in on the ground floor.
My idea is to open a laundry mat with a
gambling casino in the back room. Think
of it...you could play a couple games of
black -jack while waiting for your dainties
to dry!
I even have a name picked out for the
new business. I'm calling it Washin'
Roulette. You'll be 'able to place bets on
which of your socks will get lost in the
dryer. A correct bet will win you a brand
new pair and while the odds are certainly
in favor of the house, it could be fun.
Once this idea catches on, people will be
washing more and more often, hence,
everyone patronizing Washin' Roulette
will be neater and cleaner than ever
before.
You've got to admit - it's a great idea.
There are some- draw backs I'll admit.
Gambling is illegal is this country for one
thing but I think we could get around that
by getting a lottery license like Wintario or
the 6-49 draw. In that case we might have
to consider calling it The Laundry Lottery,
or Winning While Washing, but we'll figure
that out later.
i THE SIDE
Imagine it ladies....husbands will be
pleading to do the weekly laundry instead
of simply asking "Where's my clean
shirts?"
The business will boom, and with it, the
entire Villlage of Lucknow. Soon, major
hotels will spring up and people like Kenny
Rogers and Bobby Vinton will come here
to do flashy stage shows.
We'll need an airport to handle all the
group tours flying in from Nevada. We'
might even get a cross -walk.
Of course we'll have to be very careful to
insure that the criminal element doesn't
move in and capitalize on this new ven-
ture. Maybe this is stretching it a bit far
but I really can't imagine Reeve Herb
Clark as a Godfather figure.
Slot machines that give detergent in
place of cash...free rinse cycles with every
21 on the draw of the cards...an extra long
spin cycle when your Keno numbers come
up...it'd be great!
I'll admit there are a few small details to
work out on this idea. You wouldn't want to
serve liquor at such an establishment like
they do in Las Vegas. If you did, some guy
would get plastered and shrink his wife's
cashmere wool sweater into doll clothes -
bad publicity.
Now I haven't approached the- Village
Council with this idea yet, but once our
councillors think about it for a while and
realize the unlimited potential of Washin'
Roulette, I figure they'll come to me with a
business license in hand.
Shares in this new venture.are limited so
act now. Make your cheques payable to
Rob Bundy in care of the Lucknow Sen-
tinel. I'm gambling that this will work and
it will work if you gamble.
Have a good week
70 years ago
April 11, 1918
Buys farm tractor - The Andrew
Brothers, south of Lucknow, have purchas-
ed a La Cross Happy Farm Tractor from
the Renfrew Machinery Company through
our local agent and will have the machine
delivered in a very short time. With the
tractor they get a three furrow plow as
well.
We believe this is the first farm tractor
to be placed in the Lucknow district and no
doubt its operation will be watched with
great interest.
The Andrew Brothers are both O.A.C.
men and up-to-date farmers.
Village to encourage gardening - The
Lucknow Village Council has taken steps
to encourage the production of food stuffs
and will do 'everything possible to en-
courage the planting of vegetable gardens.
A number of parts of unused streets will
be broken up and anyone needing ground
to plant on should make an application for
a portion of these at the earliest possible
date.
SENTINEL
MEMOIRS
50 years ago
April 14, 1938
Rings recovered after eight years - Two
gold wedding bands, lost in the fire that
destroyed the Cain House eight years ago,
have been found in the debris that is now
being cleared away from the site. The
rings have been returned to the owner, a
Mr. H. Dreyer of Elora.
Mr. Dreyer is a travelling salesman and
was in Lucknow on a regular call on that
disastrous day eight years ago. He oc-
cupied one of the rooms on the second
floor.
In his club bag, which he had left in the
room when the fire struck, was a small tin
box containing two gold wedding rings
valued as keepsakes. Following the fire, it
was impossible to reach the room he had
occupied and a later search failed to turn
up the lost items.
Remains of the club bag were found this
week and led to the discovery of the lost
rings. The two rings were intact and were
unaffected by the heat. The tin box kept
them free from exposure during their eight
years in hidding under the rubble.
25 years ago
April 10, 1963
Bruce an Huron remain Conservative -
Voters across the Dominion of Canada
went to the polis on Monday and recorded
a majority popular vote in favour of the
Liberal Party, but not sufficient enough to
give Liberal Leader Lester Pearson an
overall majority in the House of Commons.
Bruce and Huron ridings both returned
the Conservative Candidates. Elston Car-
diff, at Ottawa continually since 1940, was
re-elected for his eighth term.
In the Bruce riding, John Loney, suc-
cessor to veteran Andy Robinson, who an-
nounced his retirement last fall, kept the
riding Progressive Conservative.
10 years ago
April 12, 1978
Teachers and board to vote - Huron
County's 274 high school teachers ten-
tatively agreed Monday to exchange
picket signs for textbooks and go back to
the classrooms on Thursday.
Negotiating teams for the county board
of education and the striking teachers set-
tled their differences in an exhausting 33
hour marathon bargaining session over
the weekend. The two parties ended the
marathon on Monday morning at 5:45
after non-stop talks had begun Saturday.
The agreement has been drawn up and
should be ratified by both groups by
Wednesday. The board met Tuesday night
to vote on the acceptance of the agreement
and the teachers have planned a mass
meeting for Wednesday night.
Rabid fox killed in Lucknow - Jack
Wraith, Lucknow, has informed the Sen-
tinel that a fox he shot near the Village on
March 30 was rabid.