An observation on the “Covid times”

[jared herbert]

I always put all of our junk mail, advertising fliers, etc in a box in the basement. When the box was full I would empty it in a recycling trailer in town. I always kind of kept track of it and the box would be full on the average every two weeks. I emptied the box 5 weeks ago and it isn’t 2/3 full now. I guess that means companies are spending a whole lot less time and money on mailings and advertising. Has anyone else noticed this?

[Lisa Starr]

Yes. I too have see a substantial decrease in our junk mail. I've also experienced a marked reduction in unwanted calls on the cell phone.

[Ken Fitzgerald]

Ditto on both accounts!

[Jim Becker]

'Just goes in our weekly recycling pickup (we usually have more recycling than trash) but yea, the volume has been a little lower...

[Jim Falsetti]

Yes. ... I've also experienced a marked reduction in unwanted calls on the cell phone.

We also have seen an enormous drop in the number of junk phone calls. When we are operating under emergency conditions, in NYS and a few others, it is "illegal" (don't know if there are any enforcement penalties) to make unasked for telemarketing solicitations.

[Rod Sheridan]

Yes, Robocalls and junk mail are way down, I could get accustomed to this........Rod.

[Jim Koepke]

This is interesting, all the sale flyers used to be most of our junk mail. Most of those stores likely aren't trying to bring in the crowds.

We have still received a few junk calls.

jtk

[Brian Elfert]

Many of the stores still open quit putting ads in the Sunday paper. Target is only putting their weekly ad online right now. The first week or two Target didn't even advertise food as no need to.

I heard the reason a number of stores quit advertising in the newspaper was to stop enticing customers to go shopping. Menards supposedly bowed to public pressure and pulled their newspaper ads. Menards has still been packed even without newspaper ads. I was there earlier today to grab a few things and they are running out of stock on certain items like mouldings. I couldn't get all the moulding I need for my project. (Why is it moulding instead of molding? It is spelled moulding in the store.)

[Bob Glenn]

I was in Lowes today and it looked like a bomb had gone off in there. There were lots of shoppers, but all the parking lot cart storage units on the lot were over flowing with carts. The aisles were stacked and crammed with items to be stocked on shelves and they had even completely blocked the end of one aisle with a 16 foot bundle of decking boards. I was looking to buy some boards for a project and the only stock they had was picked through. I ended up going down to Home Depot to get what I needed. Usually, this Lowes store is neat and clean. I wonder if they have had a lot of employee no shows due to covid?

[Frederick Skelly]

Less junk mail and junk calls here, too. I hadn't noticed it until you mentioned it.

With no disrespect intended to the people who do such work, junk mail is clearly a non-essential business. Plus, companies probably slashed advertizing to survive.

[Grant Wilkinson]

Here in Ontario, some of the big names in sales flyers put out announcements telling would-be shoppers that they were discontinuing paper flyers in favour of electronic versions. Works for me.

[Lee DeRaud]

(Why is it moulding instead of molding? It is spelled moulding in the store.)

With/without the 'u' is strictly a British English vs American English thing. Was Menards originally Canadian? (I've never lived anywhere that has them: first time I ever saw the name was on the hood of a racecar. )

But my suspicion is that "moulding" became standard here in recent decades after mold issues and abatement became a thing: didn't want people confusing decorative woodwork with that black stuff that was making them sick.

[Brian Elfert]

But my suspicion is that "moulding" became standard here in recent decades after mold issues and abatement became a thing: didn't want people confusing decorative woodwork with that black stuff that was making them sick.

All three of the big home improvement chains call it moulding. I think I first noticed that spelling at Home Depot a few months ago.

[Jason Roehl]

With/without the 'u' is strictly a British English vs American English thing. Was Menards originally Canadian? (I've never lived anywhere that has them: first time I ever saw the name was on the hood of a racecar. )

But my suspicion is that "moulding" became standard here in recent decades after mold issues and abatement became a thing: didn't want people confusing decorative woodwork with that black stuff that was making them sick.

I believe John Menard lives in/is from Wisconsin.