C HILL BEFORE YOU BUY By Adrian Ver

A GENDA Summary of article Information about the company Relevance to marketing references

Q UICK S UMMARY Mark’s has installed a $35000 Walk In freezer in its South Commons, Edmonton outlet Aims to encourage customers to try apparel to see if it stands up to a real Canadian winter. Freezer temperature starts at -20 degrees Celsius With fan on: drops to -46 degrees Celsius Bar handle inside of freezer so customers can test the grip of gloves Management is looking into adding a wet component The outlet serves as a test ground for future in-store testing devices for some of their “innovations” In addition to the freezer, the outlet has a ramp with different flooring surfaces to test shoes and boots, and a device that demonstrates how waterproof, breathable denim works.

Q UICK F ACTS ABOUT M ARK ’ S W ORK W AREHOUSE Canadian clothing retailer Owned by Canadian Tire Sells Industrial / Health wear work clothes (labour-oriented) Line has expanded to include business casual attire for men and women Sell underwear, shoes and accessories as well.

S OME I NNOVATIONS... Never iron dress shirt Stain resistant apparel Non pilling dryer safe sweaters Non slip footwear “HYPER-DRI” products

Innovations targeted towards solving common clothing problems Ex. Rainwear that doesn’t breathe, stains from spilled coffee etc. Updated slogan from “Clothes that work” to “Clothes that work isn’t a tagline. It’s a promise.”

R ELEVANCE TO MARKETING Mark’s is using “Experiential Marketing” Common in food retailing but not in apparel retailing Examples: new spreads or dips, new drinks sampled in portion sizes The company is attempting to generate “consumer engagement” They are engaging people by getting them to touch, feel and talk about a product in the hopes of turning them into customers People much more likely to purchase when they have tried it out for themselves and liked it

Then hopefully, they will recommend the product to their friends and family. Alberta a good province to start with regards to in-store test devices Alberta is a popular destination for Canadian winter tourism

R EFERENCES Shaw, Hollie. (2009, September) If they try it, they’ll buy it. Retrieved September 25, 2009, from Mark’s Work Warehouse. (2009, August 15). In Wikipedia the free encyclopedia. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from Womens CLASSIC FIT Stain Repellant "Camilla" FLEXTECH Pant, Womens ISPIRI Cable Knit Coat Sweater, WindRiver 6" Sport Boots with TARANTULA® ANTI-SLIP, WindRiver HYPER-DRI® HD3 Mid Length Jacket with T-MAX, Womens HYPER-DRI® HD1 Water Repellant T-MAX Soft Shell - [Online Images]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2009, from Mark’s Innovations – [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2009, from www2.marks.com Kaiser, Ed. (2009, September). Freezer at Mark’s Work Warehouse. Retrieved October 18, from /story.html /story.html Alberta. Retrieved October 18, 2009, from Mark’s Work Warehouse – [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 18, 2009, from corp.canadiantire.ca See’s chocolates – [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2009 from livinginthekitchenwithpuppies.blogspot.com 5g/ScKBE1EXacI/AAAAAAAADFU/j7jz74qMq8U/s400/sees3.jpghttp://3.bp.blogspot.com/__QLQ_8gu- 5g/ScKBE1EXacI/AAAAAAAADFU/j7jz74qMq8U/s400/sees3.jpg Sad Images – [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2009 from graphicshunt.com