Hanging Stock Seems Better Than Flat Presentation - Apr. 19, 2010

 Decided I had better call.

 "I have an idea," I said to Shelley on the other end of the line.

 Those words, guaranteed, always create angst with Shelley.

 Even though I could not see her face I knew what was coming.

 "Oh?" she said.

 It was a rarity on Friday that our family was at Animal Essentials. We go in more directions than a Sheltie herding cattle so to have four of us there was indeed odd.

 It also gives us the chance to make some changes at the store in terms of shoring up presentations and creating new ideas.

 No exception on Friday.

 One of the items that has been on our minds has been the counter area.

 We had brought the counter to the store over two years ago and although it provides a wealth of space and areas to showcase product, it has not met with our full expectations.

 We wanted to change its appearance.

 Mainly, on the left side when you come into the store, the counter space and its adjoining shelving unit is rarely looked at.

 Kind of our fault.

 We tried several items and several displays on the racks, but nothing really gave us that feeling of overall satisfaction, something that may garner more than a casual glance.

 It hit me last night when I ventured down after Sunday closing that we could do something with that space...but what?

 I plucked the actual shelving off the counter face and stood back. It would be nice to hang items there, but I was not about to insert a bunch of nails to stand in for pegs.

 Out back we had an endcap with a nice-sized piece of pegboard.

 Which prompted my phone call home.

 "What if I sawed the pegboard and used that on the counter?" I asked.

 "We use those endcaps," was the quick reply from Shelley.

 Good point, I thought.

 Darn.

 She decided we would buy some pegboard and make it work that way.

 But I was on a thinking role. That does not happen every day.

 Out back I went to the storage area. Now out back has all kinds of pegboard.

 Hmmm.

 Toward the office, lo and behold, was an almost perfect size piece of pegboard adorned to the wall.

 Four screws taken out later, I had the pegboard.

 Too big for the spot.

 Which led me to the saw, a saw I purchased in 1987 that barely cuts butter when it is melted.

 Still, for a small piece of razor thin pegboard, it would work.

 Heck, I even measured it to the counter space and started sawing away.

 Happy to report no finger injuries.

 The piece slid into the counter, was screwed into the supporting wood and - presto! - instant hanging space.

 All of the poop bags, there is no way to write that gently, were placed on the hooks giving it an actual appealing factor.

 It just looks better.

 Now, I had taken all the bags from the neighbouring shelves which left vacancy on the other side. What to do?

 Apple baskets!

 Out back I went again, wearing out the floor, and garnered three large apple baskets. They fit well, but there was still some space. Out back again to find a smaller apple basket.

 Perfect fit.

 All of those baskets now sit on the top shelving row and are filled with bright and colourful chew toys for dogs at $3.99.

 On the bottom, our rag-a-muffin dog cloths and some grooming products were placed in uniformity.

 Now, as the left counter meets the main counter, there was a three-tiered angle shelving unit. Note the word 'was.'

 Unscrewing those three small shelving units that were never fully used to capacity, an apple basket was inserted into the counter with a clip, leaving it hanging and full of product.

 At the bottom is a dog bowl stuffed with bandanas.

 Less, I hope, turns out to be more.

 That endcap that was going to be sacrificed an hour before the transformation also found new life.

 It is now loaded up with gentle leaders which are marked down for a final sale 50 per cent off and located to the left of the cash. Bird feeders are down 35 per cent and sit beside them.

 And, for good measure, the summer clothing rack has been pushed toward the back and all the dog toys moved up a row.

 The clock was showing 8:45 so I had to hustle home for The Amazing Race.

 Turns out the race was off last night to make way for the country music awards.

 Also, it should be pointed, Shelley has not seen the final product.

 Hopefully she does not send me back on an amazing race to tear down what was built...or changed.

 In the end, though, we are happy to report through it all there were no injuries.

 And that is always important, not to mention impressive, after an hour or two working with drills, saws and screwdrivers.