How do ‘seconds’ get sold?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the Fairview Ave. Grocery Outlet store in Boise I saw pound bags of Belly Flops - irregular jelly beans marketed by Jelly Belly (as shown above). That got me thinking about other examples of how less-than-perfect products get sold by clever manufacturers. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A couple decades ago, when I lived in metro Chicago, Lands’ End had outlet stores, and they sold clothing and other monogrammed products which had been returned by customers. As shown above, I got a large, leather-trimmed, soft-sided suitcase with three compartments for way less than retail. It was used on car trips until being replaced by another suitcase with wheels.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I used a #11 scalpel (shown above) and tweezers to cut and remove the monogram. (Those tools both came from the local American Science & Surplus store).

    

I also found that Pepperidge Farm had retail stores which sold cosmetically imperfect products (and bulk packages). About once a month I’d stop by and get myself a frozen layer cake as a treat.

 

Four decades ago, when I lived in Ann Arbor, I wanted a place to store my woodworking tools. It turned out that the Kennedy Manufacturing Company had a factory store in Van Wert, Ohio that sold their seconds for about 30% below retail. I drove down there on a Saturday and filled my car up with an 8-drawer Machinist’s Chest, a Two-Drawer Base Cabinet, a Chest Riser, and a 7-Drawer Industrial Cabinet with wheels. What had made that 7-Drawer Industrial Cabinet a second? It just had a single, thumbnail-sized paint defect on the back!

  

Tater Tots are the best story of a ‘second.’ An article by Kelsey McKinney at EATER on August 28, 2017 is titled The Tater Tot is American ingenuity at its finest. Over six decades ago Ore-Ida took the left-over scraps from cutting potatoes for French Fries, and produced little seasoned cylinders. 

 

Another article in the Boise Weekly 2016 Bar & Restaurant Guide provides more details.

Initially they priced them based on their cost to make. But that was so low customers were suspicious. Market research led them to raise the price, and increase their profits.