Thursday, May 7, 2009

Shop-U-Tainment



The grocery market field is very competitive, especially in rough economic times. No matter how big or widespread their organization is, food store chains have to fight for every bit of business. This is true at Trader Joe's, too. The current dictates for our signs are that they must constantly emphasize what a good value Trader Joe's goods are. It's true that Trader Joe's stuff is often less expensive than the competitors', but that and gourmet goodness isn't the whole reason why people love Trader Joe's. They come to TJ's rather than other places because TJ's is fun. It's a mixture of shopping and entertainment, or "shop-u-tainment." As a signmaker I want to keep that experience going. As regular readers of this Blog know, I've been making signs for TJ's in a "mid-century pop" style, inspired by the roadside signs of the 1950s and early 60s. This style combines garish hard-sell with the playful attitude of candy-colored cars with big fins, and neon diners. Our customers, weary of the threats of the current world, can be entertained by colorful retro-chic.

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