Text 13487, 73 rader
Skriven 2007-03-27 17:30:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Store trends
====================
http://watleyreview.com

Massachusetts Distributes Extra Vowels as Economic Stimulus Package

Massachusetts has awarded more than three hundred letter Es to nineteen
shopping centers in five counties as part of an economic development
package designed to spur commerce.

"The Massachusetts economy is burdened by stagnant employment growth in
key industry clusters, persistent emigration, and a progressively
limited workforce," said Governor Deval Patrick. "Government vowel
distribution is not something to be undertaken lightly, but I believe
that we are at a critical juncture in our economic development where
such action is appropriate."

The Es are being distributed to a variety of retail outlets and
restaurants, transforming shops to shoppes and town centers to towne
centers.

"We are frankly relieved that the governor has taken this bold and
visionary step," said James Peterson of the Pioneer Valley Chamber of
Commerce. "These extraneous vowels may mean the difference between
success and failure for many small to midsized businesses."

The appendage of an E to the end of a business name has a demonstrable,
if poorly understood, effect upon small business revenues; it is often
termed the "Mr. E" effect, after the Harvard economist Edgar Ennis who
first identified the phenomenon in the 1940s. Businesses with the extra
E are able to charge anywhere from ten to fifty percent more for
essentially identical goods and services.

"Well, it stands to reason," said Mary Silverman, a shopper at the newly
renamed Calme Waters Shoppes in Suffolk. "I mean, paying $8 for a club
sandwich at a grill is one thing, but when you buy it at a grille,
that's entirely different. I wouldn't pay less than $12 for a sandwich
at a grille."

Despite the short-term boost that the extra Es can provide, economists
caution that overuse can lead to "e-flation", in which universally
appended Es lead to devaluation of the vowel and a diminution of its
effect upon prices.

"It's not a panacea," warned Milt Goldberg, an economist with the
Brookings Institution. "You also need to be sure you're distributing the
correct vowel; extra Es may work well in Massachusetts, whereas in some
cases, as with Mayor Bloomberg's distribution of extra 'Os' in Little
Italy last year, other vowels may be more appropriate. And it should be
noted that the 'Mr. E' effect doesn't work when the clientele is
insufficiently literate to tell the difference between Shoppe, Shop, or
Ship."

Despite such cautionary notes, Governor Patrick's program is being well
received by residents of the greater Boston area.

"There's just something about that extra letter," said Silverman. "Even
when it doesn't make sense. I mean, I don't know what a 'Krogere' is,
but I didn't know what a 'Kroger' was in the first place. And I'm
certainly willing to pay more for groceries at a Krogere than a Kroger."

(The Watley Review is not to be taken seriously).


Cheers

Jim, in Yellowknife




... The preceding was written tongue in cheek, for the humor impaired!
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