🚀 go-pugleaf

[]

	"What is "The Incredible Universe" near Wilsonville, Ore.,
	besides something I saw when driving up I-5 last weekend?"

It's a very big Radio Shack, selling a large variety of electronic and
electric products.  Cameras, computers, TVs and stereos, refrigerator,
washing machines ...

Prices are okay.  Coverage is not great -- they only have a few product
lines in each category.  The "cast members" (salespeople) don't know a
lot about their wares.

Incredible Universe is controversial here because they won't let you in
without a membership card, which they issue.  The application form
requires you to give quite a bit of personal information.  You must use
this card each time you make a purchase, so IU can keep a complete list
of everything you've bought.  Speculation is that they turn this
information into targeted marking lists.

  -=- Andrew Klossner  (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com)
                       (uunet!tektronix!frip.WV.TEK!andrew)

In article <2429@shaman.wv.tek.com> andrew@frip.wv.tek.com writes:
>[]
>
>	"What is "The Incredible Universe" near Wilsonville, Ore.,
>	besides something I saw when driving up I-5 last weekend?"
>
>It's a very big Radio Shack, selling a large variety of electronic and
>electric products.  Cameras, computers, TVs and stereos, refrigerator,
>washing machines ...
>
.
.
.
>Incredible Universe is controversial here because they won't let you in
>without a membership card, which they issue.  The application form
>requires you to give quite a bit of personal information.  You must use
>this card each time you make a purchase, so IU can keep a complete list
>of everything you've bought.  Speculation is that they turn this
>information into targeted marking lists.
.
.
.

That could be part of it.  But like Costco and other membership outfits
they use that as a pre screening tool.  They don't want to give memberships
to people who may be under a certain income level or of shady background.
This does a couple of things.  First it get only people into their
store with money to spend.  No window shoppers.  Second, it reduces the
likelyhood that the member is a shoplifter.  Many browsers are just
looking for a opportunity to lift some merchandice.  This is 
what an employee told me regarding membership at Costco.  Finally, they
can compile data of shoppers buying trends.  This enables them to screen
products that they believe won't sell.  It enables them to do 
market analysis with a high degree of certainty.  When products quit
selling at the level that justifies their shelf space they drop the
product.

It works in the publics favor.  The store can keep costs down when they
don't have to cover the costs of bounced checks or stolen merchendice.  As
a consumer you will get products in that appeal more to you.






-- 
Statement made by Oliver North when asked to comment on Clinton's draft
record.  "I would rather vote for Jane Fonda than Gov. Clinton!  At least
she has been to North Vietnam."

In article <2429@shaman.wv.tek.com> andrew@frip.wv.tek.com writes:
>[]
>
>	"What is "The Incredible Universe" near Wilsonville, Ore.,
>	besides something I saw when driving up I-5 last weekend?"
>
>It's a very big Radio Shack, selling a large variety of electronic and
>electric products.  Cameras, computers, TVs and stereos, refrigerator,
>washing machines ...

That's right, but I must add that a lot of the brands they carry are a bit
better than Tandy and other stuff you'll find at a real Radio Shack.

>Prices are okay.  Coverage is not great -- they only have a few product
>lines in each category.  The "cast members" (salespeople) don't know a
>lot about their wares.

This is also what I've found...

>Incredible Universe is controversial here because they won't let you in
>without a membership card, which they issue.  The application form
>requires you to give quite a bit of personal information.  You must use
>this card each time you make a purchase, so IU can keep a complete list
>of everything you've bought.  Speculation is that they turn this
>information into targeted marking lists.

Yeah, but you can always make up some fake address and phone number so that
you don't get any mailing stuff...  I really don't care if they keep track 
of what I buy there...

Jeff
jeff@hfglobe.intel.com

[]

	"But like Costco and other membership outfits they use that as
	a pre screening tool.  They don't want to give memberships to
	people who may be under a certain income level or of shady
	background ..."

That's not the case here.  Incredible Universe doesn't deny any
membership applications.

	"Finally, they [Cosco] can compile data of shoppers buying
	trends.  This enables them to screen products that they believe
	won't sell.  It enables them to do market analysis with a high
	degree of certainty.  When products quit selling at the level
	that justifies their shelf space they drop the product."

But none of this requires knowledge of the shopper, only of the rate at
which products are selling.  Other big stores do this without invading
their customers' privacy.

  -=- Andrew Klossner  (andrew@frip.wv.tek.com)
                       (uunet!tektronix!frip.WV.TEK!andrew)