----- Original Message ---- From: Stephen Gallagher <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: U.S. Metric Association <[email protected]> Sent: Sunday, March 11, 2007 11:36:17 AM Subject: [USMA:38140] Re: Label Typo
On 11-Mar-07, at 10:55 , Daniel Jackson wrote: Can't Canadian manufacturers make 4 L paint for the US market? Is there a rule against it? Yes, they could attempt to sell 4 L paint to the US market, even if they marketed it as being 1.05 gallons, but they'd create several obstacles (imaginary or real) for themselves. US retailers may not be willing to adjust their shelving to maximize the number of cans they can store and display. If they have to raise every shelf 1.75 cm in order to fit a taller 4 L can, or if the can is not taller, but instead wider, they might not be able to store as many individual cans. I've seen paint cans on shelves and nowhere did it appear they were so tight that any change in the can's height would result in a change of shelf distance. I'm not sure how much higher a 4 L can must be compared to 3.8 L, but we are only talking a 200 mL or so difference. I don't have a paint can around to measure, but if I assume a diameter of 1.8 dm, the area would be 2.5 dm^2. 0.2 dm^3 / 2.5 dm^2 = 0.08 dm = 8 mm. The can would only have to be 8 mm or so taller. I'm just wondering though if cans are made big enough already for those markets that already fill to 4 L, and when filled to 3.8 L, they are just a little more empty. Thus you use the same can and just will it more. There's also the issue of price comparison, although I do acknowledge that people usually purchase paint based on either quality, and not price. Still, you wouldn't be able to price compare the two, because they'd be of different sizes. You could if unit pricing was applied. You also have the problem if someone is selling 3.6 or 3.7 L compared to 3.8 L. Maybe if they did, US consumers would see they are getting more and buy the 4 L size over the 3.78 L size. Or maybe the manufacturers would be afraid that they'd have to charge lower prices in order to compete with the smaller, yet standard US container. It isn't what the manufacturer would charge, it is what the stores mark-up would be? Stores may mark up different brands differently. Also, a store may get a deal from one producer and get special pricing. Many things affectt he pricing, that the size of the can would be inmaterial. This would force the US manufactures to up-size to 4 L too, no? It appears to have done the opposite. Keep in mind, that that US market is ten times the size of the Canadian market. Canadian manufacturers who sell in both countries often have the majority of their revenues from US sources, and they often sell most of their products to the US, so they produce for the standardized size in the US market. I don't see where that matters. Products from other countries are sold in rounded metric in the US without worry to what the US market size is. If selling 4 L is an advantage to increased sales, then it will force the US market to adapt. It is those market forces people talk about. We need to stop looking for excuses when it comes to rounded metric sizes and just do it. ____________________________________________________________________________________ Looking for earth-friendly autos? Browse Top Cars by "Green Rating" at Yahoo! Autos' Green Center. http://autos.yahoo.com/green_center/
