[One more metric product] is great, Jim. Would you however be able to tell me how many "grocery-type" products there are in the market out there, please? Would it be fair to say that this would number in the tens of thousands?
Actually, regular grocery stores have about 40,000 to 50,000 items. "Superstores" such as Target and Walmart have 70,000 to 90,000 different items in a store.
Would it also be fair to say that *even at 50% level* ther would STILL be 'tens of thousands' of ifp products out there?
Yep.
Therefore, if my math doesn't fail me and at the rate you've been reporting about these products (one every month or so?...) how long would it take till one sees these "flipped to the 'other side' (metric)"? Thousand(s) of years, right?...
Yep.
Of course, you are presuming (a) that I find all the products that have metricated, and (b) that the rate of change to metric will be constant. That's where we entirely disagree. I believe that it's more of a "critical mass" type of situation, where, when we reach a significant portion of metric products, and where US consumers no longer raise a stink when they see it, then the bulk of the remaining non-metric products will switch much more quickly.
My estimate is that we are in the range of 5% metric in consumer products, probably over 30% in industrial products, and definitely over 60% in electronics manufacturing. We've passed critical mass in electronics manufacturing, are near it in industrial products, and have a ways to go in consumer products.
But let's not forget the... "wake up" phenomenon that would certainly occur when some part of the population finally realizes they're been... invaded by this thing (metric). Again, what I've already shared here some time ago.
I don't think this will happen to any real degree. It DOES happen when government tries to cram metric down peoples' throats. But when metrication is happening the way it is in the USA, i.e., by individual companies and persons making the change in their own time and way, why would people object?
I will remind you that the huge Metric Martyr stink in England a couple of years ago was due to government persecution of a peaceful citizen, not because any citizens objected to a private institution changing to metric.
Jim Elwell, CAMS Electrical Engineer Industrial manufacturing manager Salt Lake City, Utah, USA www.qsicorp.com
