I stepped into the Godrej Store in Cuffe Parade (the local grocers) and was pleasantly surprised to see that cook books by Nigella Lawson were selling. The books were placed in a rack that is usually kept for fruits or vegetables. As such the books were surrounded by vegetables not making it a very appropriate and relevant abruption. It has proximity, getting close to the place where the potential target audience is likely to be, it has exclusivity because very few other publishers or retailers are doing this and it is unpredictable, catching customers off guard where they enter the shop. Think about it these books would otherwise compete with a slew of other cookbooks in traditional bookshops.

What was amusing however was, sharing the same shelf space with the cook books, were books on dieting. Something that seemed to be at cross purposes to each other. I mean both books are targeted at two very different publics yet here they were trying to be sold side by side. Still someone out there should be congratulated for the idea. Now I’d like to see someone do something innovative in the space of in-store announcements. They can be quite a drag.