Belly Flops

Many years ago, back while I was in high school and college, I worked the Bulk Foods department at the Real Canadian Superstores (a sprawling green grocery box store). Not the world's most exciting job - "Clean-up on isle 3!" - but it did offer a goldmine of insight into consumer behaviour - how people shopped, who bought what, what caught their eye, and the knowledge that people would actually wrestle other people for bargain bin items.

Bulk foods, in particular, offered shoppers an abundance choice - almost too many different nuts, powders, candies, spices, cookies, and mixes to choose from. But a few things were clear. Cashews are the favourite nut by far, boys are magically attracted by the orange glow of cheezies, and people who buy jelly beans are very particular about the colour, shape, and size of their jelly beans. Which is why the discovery of this product by gourmet bean maker Jelly Belly made me laugh. Belly Flops - the odd-shaped, misflavoured, improperly stamped factory rejects. Very clever thinking on the part of Jelly Belly's marketers to give these duds new (and apparently popular) life.

(via Three Minds)