Okay, this isn’t a pressing issue and I’m sure that many of you egulars here will tell me to get a life. But I just find it super annoying and rude how people in grocery and drug stores waiting in the line think that it’s perfectly acceptable to pick up a gossip magazine and READ it while waiting with no intention of buying it. They’re for sale, not just something to keep you entertained until the poor sap at the cash has to ring your stuff through. I once saw a woman reading a magazine, HOLDING up the line because she was too busy reading about Jessica Simpson’s fat ass to take out her wallet and pay for her stuff. I can’t believe how rude and socially inept some people are. Like everything else in the store, put it down unless you plan on paying for it!
—Us Weakly
This article appears in May 28 – Jun 3, 2009.
See with Mags being so over priced I say read them, they are only dated for a week and after that week they go to the garbage.
Although I dont think people should be holding up lines while reading them!
Oh Please. On the scale of rudeness, I’d say this rates about a 2. Your reference to the cashier as being a ‘poor sap,’ on the other hand, rates a bit higher. Condescending, much??
SERIOUSLY? WTF. Ok maybe holding up the line is a bit rude, but other then that who the fuck cares?! Would you rather them standing in line getting inpatient and bitching at stupid thing’s like what you are doing?
If I was to see a headline on the National Perspirer that read: ‘Protrustions of Palm Trees Growing Out of Brad Pitt’s Butt Pucker’, I’ll sneak a look inside but not to the extent of holding up the line. That’s just plain fucking rude.
I would have made a snide remark about how old, crusty womenz are so self-entitled and annoying. Maybe even ask, “Mind if I put my stuff through and pay while Dolly Parton here reads her magazine?”
Consider it part of a green initiative
“Mind if I put my stuff through and pay while Dolly Parton here reads her magazine?”
Why Dolly Parton? Weak.
I’ve always enjoyed the blackand white mag, with the alien abductions and human-dog babies and such.
Well if the service was faster, people wouldn’t be reading. Fire all cashiers and install self-check outs!
It’s the same as people going to chapters who just cozy up in a corner and crack open the latest twilight book with no intention of paying for it. I find it really rude and I’ve seen some people do the grocery store grossip thing for literaly 15 minutes, and then go about their shopping afterwards. It’s so tacky!
umm..chapter’s is set up with couches and what not so that people have the choice to do that.
Yeah, falling angels, Chapters the book store doesn’t want to make any profit at all. They set up those “couches and whatnot” so they can provide a nice social atmosphere in which people will feel comfortable and want to go shopping. It’s called marketing, sweetie. Ultimately, it’s a company that wants your money, not your fat ass taking up space not spending money. Think about it.
xox: If you don’t like it, go to Coles. Isn’t that your policy at SDM? “If you don’t like it, go to Lawtons”. I believe that was exactly how you put it. The same goes for you. You’re welcome to go elsewhere. (and cue kay’s rambling about “friendly Nova Scotians”)….
I don’t go to Chapters, I go to the library. And I don’t not like it, I’m just stating the bleeding obvious.
Why not go in and ask. “Hey, if I want to crack open a book, I’m allowed to sit on those couches and read it right”? You might be surprised by the ans. Not to many people out there have the patience to go to chapters EVERYDAY to read an entire 699 page book. It work’s to profit chapters in that, if you see a potential book of interest, you can sit down read it, and if you like it enough…drumroll please…you buy it *GASP*.
But I guess the train set they have set up for kid’s in the kid’s section, you know the one you CAN’T buy..it’s rude to let your kid’s play with that too right?
“Consider it part of a green initiative”
thats awesome and true
Believe me Falling Angels, people are cheap. There’s always the select few who take advantage of the reading space and don’t buy the book. I’m not saying that everyone is like that or that it’s wrong to read there, but I do think that that’s what the library’s for. And it’s free anyway, so why not take advantage there? And, if I’m not mistaken, they have a train set there for your little tikes. Problem solved!
Chapters has always welcomed people to sit back and read stuff knowing full well many of those people won’t buy a thing yet people walking past those same people might realise that a certain book is good since it has someone’s undivided attention and purchase a copy for themselves.
Plus the few extra cars in the parking lot will often encourage more potential purchasers to come in and see what’s new.
I’m with VOR. Chapter’s has been a regular part of my life since I was little. It has an open and welcoming atmosphere inviting you to get a coffee, and hang out browsing through books. That is the marketing strategy. If I’m bored, go to chapter’s, and most likely I am going to buy something. However, unless I knew what I specifically wanted, I wouldn’t go to a bookstore like coles out of pure boredom or as something fun to do. People are cheapskates no matter what marketing stragedy is put forth.
Yes, it’s a good marketing stragedy. But I do agree.
If the scum want to read the magz while in line, who gives a big fat frig – the only clause I’d insert is that they’d better not have more than 10 items in the express lane, now that’s a bitch for me.
what’s a ‘stragedy’?
Ask 1fallingangels1
you’re the one who wrote it….
They want you to read the magazines. That’s why the magazine publishers pay big time $$$ for the placement at the checkout. They aren’t there by accident. A certain % of those that browse will just buy the magazine to continue enjoying at home. In terms of the delay caused by the “Dolly Parton” in question, I can’t imagine it being more the 30 seconds or so. Big whoop.
They want you to read the magazines. That’s why the magazine publishers pay big time $$$ for the placement at the checkout. They aren’t there by accident. A certain % of those that browse will just buy the magazine to continue enjoying at home. In terms of the delay caused by the “Dolly Parton” in question, I can’t imagine it being more the 30 seconds or so. Big whoop.
Actually she’s the one who wrote it. Look up 🙂
Andy: self check outs are actually SLOWER than cashier check outs. The system itself is so dumbed down in design that even idiots have a hard time figuring shit out because of the time-wasting steps.
I did cashier work, and some cashiers are slow as FUCK, but believe me, I could get an order through faster on a regular check out than when i use the self check out for my stuff. You’d have even more line ups and pissed off customers if every check out was a self check out.
On the topic of the magazines: if you don’t want your customers reading the mags in line, then DON’T PUT THEM THERE. Better still, put a sticker around the magazine so you can’t open it unless you buy it. But since there isn’t one, I sure as hell AM going to look at whichever magazine I choose when I’m in line.
Though I do agree that the cow holding up the line probably need a prod up her ass. Still.
Yeah you goons…the magazines are exactly in that spot so you will pick them up and browse them, IN THE HOPES you will find an article you like and buy the magazines. Granted, they are NOT there to be read cover-to-cover, but seriously…who is standing a in grocery line for that long? (natural disaster warning days aside)
LOL, xox you made a spelling error it’s actually spelled strategy. NGF’s just giving you a hard time for it:)
You actually did that m’dear:
“People are cheapskates no matter what marketing stragedy is put forth.”
So I did..my bad.
Funny story, US Weekly phantom subscribed me to their hit list — I got 52 free copies one year and used it all to stoke the embers in my fireplace.
Holding up the line for any reason short of having a seizure is rude.
Reading magazines off the stands? Who gives a fuck. Besides you of course.
i usually speak to people in line including the cashier but that bw bat boy/giant baby etc mag always gets to me i like to read the headlines out loud gets a good reaction
Holding up the line is crazy, but standing in line waiting isn’t a big deal. Should I not examine an apple for bruises or check the freshness of the bread either? Sorry for looking closely at the merchandise.
Dino you burn them?
I hope you read them first get the gossip down.