I’ll admit it. I’m a little out of touch with some (many?) parts of America. When you travel the world for a living, you don’t always have a firm grasp on what’s going on in your own back yard. I had an experience recently that really drove that point home.
Last Friday, I spent 5 hours at Costco in San Jose selling premium Japanese sake. Yes, you read that correctly. I had a foldup card table, the usual promotional materials, and a pallet of mixed sake from our portfolio, right next to a huge stack of 10W40 motor oil. A little Twilight Zone-ish, I know, but I was keeping an open mind regarding the opportunity to sell sake (without sampling it) to the passers by with their substantial carts filled with large quantities of foodstuffs, electronic equipment, etc.
My first shock was upon my arrival at the store—noon on a Friday and the parking lot was packed. I guess people have different schedules than I do, and this was as good a time as any to do their shopping. I hadn’t been inside a Costco for a while, so as I made my way to my selling spot, I was a little overwhelmed by the enormity of it all–the store, the pallets, the sheer size of everything, and all these people shopping while I am usually on a plane or behind a desk.
So I got set up and watched as the couples, families, and individuals glided by and followed them as they scanned the product and price signs hanging just above eye level on the pallets. To my delight, many of the folks would slow down long enough for me to engage them in a little sales banter, “It’s gonna be hot this weekend, and you’ll need some chilled sake!” Some people smiled and shook their heads, but others stopped to see what this crazy guy was up to. Many of them were interested enough to try a bottle or two, with nary a sake connoisseur among them. Considering that almost all the sake I had for sale were priced around $25, and the wine section just to my left had almost nothing more expensive than $20, it was a revelation.
The recession has certainly made Americans more aware of what they spend their money on, and they are inclined to save a few bucks when they can, but I was heartened to see that it hadn’t totally taken the adventurous spirit from them. It’s Friday, and that means the weekend is here, and by golly we’re going to enjoy it. God Bless America.
