Has your company done this?

[mick063]

It is a first where I work. The company I work for is about as far removed from wholesale/retail marketing as you can get. We clean up nuclear waste through a contract with the Department of Energy.

All of the employees were distributed catalogs, similar to the old fashioned Sears catalog, with the company logo at the top. What was somewhat surprising, was the seemingly high prices. For example, $29.95 for a polo shirt. The catalog was in a format that led you to believe that the company was indeed Sears. Certainly far removed from a third party, intermediate "feel". The company logo was apparent in page after page.

It immediately gave me that "company store" impression. Are they serious? They have a multi million dollar contract with DOE and some guy in their chain of command thought they could make a few thousand bucks off of retail sales to the employees?

So how common is this?

[madrchsod]

1. never heard of this

[femmocrat]

2. Is it mandatory that you buy it?

Not sure, but it might be tax-deductible. Maybe someone knows.

I work at a school so we have all kinds of tee-shirts, polo shirts, sweatshirts available to buy. None is required though.

[sigmasix]

3. is this an alternative to raises?

is the company intending to build value in the products offered, and then use them as "free" gifts instead of COLA raises? I'm sure the abuse will begin pretty quickly, no matter the stated purpose. Perhaps they intend on using it as the center of an incentive program that features points that can be exchanged for dollar equivalent at the company store. This eliminates the expense of other more important benefits.

[PowerToThePeople]

4. I do not have issue with this

In your job, you most likely have work clothing and off-work clothing. You could have your work clothing logo'd and then if you were to meet with vendors, etc. it would look official.

[elehhhhna]

5. I have never worked anywhere where the logo shirt/s weren't paid for by the company

[PowerToThePeople]

7. I was usually given some amount free

Then I could purchase more if I wanted them. But there was a selection of stuff that did not come free. dress shirts, jackets, etc. Typically managers/etc would get these items and the "normal worker" would just wear their free t-shirt.

[bhikkhu]

6. Company logo clothing and nic-nac catalogs are a dime a dozen

Some of them go high-end and make a catalog of their stuff all branded for a specific company. I've seen them, but I've never worked at a place tacky enough to pass them around, or with people dim enough to wear them.

[mick063]

8. Okay, I have to walk this back a bit.

For some reason, I blew it in the memory department. Getting old I guess.

This is actually a web catalog that they regularly email us. You still turned the pages and the company logo was still plastered everywhere. It still had the "Sears feel". Instead of a printed catalog it was simply on a web page.

Which brings up another peculiarity.

This catalog is on a secure government "LAN" network intended for government use. I can only log on while at work, using a work computer.

Oh well. No biggie I suppose. I just kinda thought it was "tacky". Perhaps I am way off. Perhaps they thought they were doing us a favor by providing "high quality" merchandise at the going rate. Perhaps they made little money at all from it. For some reason, though, I find this hard to believe. We are going through hard core labor contract negotiations (we overwhelmingly voted no on the "last, final, and best" proposal) and I find it hard to believe they would do anything beneficial for us unless they could squeeze a nickel out of it.

Perhaps good PR for people to wear their stuff around town? A form of advertising? They really don't need a couple thousand bucks. They don't bat an eye over spending that much.

I dunno.

[on point]

9. Common. Part of corporate rah rah marketing to employees

Corporate America and political America are about conning people (marketing) into thinking things are wonderful when they are not. That is why they talk about the message and not the delivery of real benefits. I would worry about the company because these type companies are ones that move from operational excellence to ones that are gutted by the players at the top but need to con the staff into playing along. Had any mgmt changes lately?