# What's the economic model for supermarket checkout divider thingies? **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 25, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081 "2017-07-25T15:21:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![johnspartan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a183cd/32.png) [@johnspartan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnspartan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/1 "2017-07-25T15:21:23Z")
I spend entirely too much time thinking this through. I’m talking specifically about the little plastic dividers most grocery stores/supermarkets offer to separate your purchases on a checkout conveyor belt from the next customer’s. Yes, one would cost almost nothing to make. And yes, you can put advertising in it, which means presumably the creator could certainly negate the minimal production and distribution costs and be almost all profit. BUT, you’re making a product that (from the looks of things) sells for perhaps $2.50, pretty much lasts forever and never even wears out. When a new supermarket opens you MIGHT sell, what, 25? And it would presumably have to be a completely new location, if it’s just a change of brand then it’s conceivable they could “inherit” the previous store’s divider thingies. I’d think there’s extremely little shoplifting of these, so an inventory is pretty much a one-time purchase. There aren’t many other retailers who would be in the market for these things… chain hardware stores sometimes have conveyor belt checkouts, but it’s a pretty short list of potential clients. You do have “first copy costs” as the manufacturer… design, materials, etc. Why does anyone make these, and do they make any money doing it? If so, how? ---
**Author:** ![sevenwood](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6de8d8/32.png) [@sevenwood](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sevenwood)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/2 "2017-07-25T15:26:30Z")
I’d guess that they are a special order item, where a plastics extrusion company that makes its living making other things squirts out a few on demand. And the profit margin on orders like this is higher than the profit margin on mainstream products. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/3 "2017-07-25T15:33:27Z")
All I know is that Steven Wright tried to buy one. It turned out to be impossible. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/4 "2017-07-25T15:41:26Z")
Yeah, I wouldn’t be surprised if the prices was much higher for the store than it seems. Customers have come to expect them. If you’re opening a store and can’t “inherit” older ones, then you need them. Also, the first copy costs would be offset by being able to sell to a lot of stores at once, even when you’re just designing an incremental improvement like a model where the store can insert its own advertising tags. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/5 "2017-07-25T15:42:39Z")
**sevenwood** hit it in one. They are cranked out on demand by local companies using standard dies. The ones with advertising that I’ve encountered have been paid for and provided by the person/company doing the advertising (in this case a local realtor who is a former student). She provided the market with the dividers and they used them for a contracted period of time, for a negotiated fee. ---
**Author:** ![romansperson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/romansperson/32/17100_2.png) [@romansperson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/romansperson)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/6 "2017-07-25T15:44:39Z")
All I know is that when our Super WalMart opened, they had them. Now they don’t, so apparently over time they were all either stolen, broken or lost, and the store decided they weren’t going to replace them. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/7 "2017-07-25T15:50:13Z")
I’ve seen many a broken one in a variety of stores. And they seem to migrate from lane to lane - I’ve seen adjacent checkouts - one has none, the other has 3. Who knows - maybe the night shift moves them around to screw with us! There’s a small local chain (only 3 stores) and their dividers actually look like plastic sticks that they cut to length. Guess they were too cheap to procure real ones. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/8 "2017-07-25T17:29:17Z")
The ones I’ve seen lately don’t have any branding or advertising. Just a black or cream-colored plastic rectangle about 14" in length. Looking at Alibaba, you could get them as cheaply as 10¢ for [plain ones](https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/supermarket-checkout-counter-triangle-bar-divider_60653885552.html) or 25¢ for [fancy ones](https://www.alibaba.com/product-detail/square-plastic-bar-for-supermarket-checkout_60630669825.html)\* if you’re willing to buy a 3,000 piece lot. I suppose a grocery chain just buys them in bulk ($750 for 3,000) and they get ordered from the main office as needed. Independents might wind up paying a couple bucks each but it’s probably not worse than buying staplers or boxes of paperclips when you’re opening a new store. The US source I found is [curiously unhelpful](http://www.adsticks.com/adstickshome.html). _(_) “Spill Lotto her!”\* ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/9 "2017-07-25T18:32:01Z")
> [@Jophiel](#): > > The US source I found is [curiously unhelpful](http://www.adsticks.com/adstickshome.html). The Family Vision signs should be printed in a fuzzy or very small font. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/10 "2017-07-25T19:26:34Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > They are cranked out on demand by local companies using standard dies. This just pushes the question back one step, though. How does someone make money making those dies? :dubious:😛 ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/11 "2017-07-25T19:32:23Z")
You don’t make them from scratch using standard dies. You can, for example, buy square plastic tubing from a supplier like McMaster-Carr and cut it to length. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 10:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/12 "2017-07-25T22:10:50Z")
I have my own personalized divider that I bring to the store when I go grocery shopping. Sometimes I have to argue with the checkout person about taking it home with my goods. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/13 "2017-07-25T22:38:32Z")
Eventually, every cash register on its stand will be pulled away from the rack-of-candies-and-jerky next to the conveyor belt and, lo and behold, the pile of +/- 1500 “lost” dividers will be revealed. ---
**Author:** ![snfaulkner](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snfaulkner/32/433_2.png) [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 10:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/14 "2017-07-25T22:43:31Z")
We need to page Biotop. He’s up to his eyeballs in Big Grocery. He’ll tell us what’s what. I’m sure it will in no way be a complete waste of his time 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/15 "2017-07-25T22:57:54Z")
Big Grocery requires [big dividers](http://news.rutgers.edu/sites/medrel/files/inline-img/Nosker%20right_ties_300x225.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/16 "2017-07-25T23:50:56Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I have my own personalized divider that I bring to the store when I go grocery shopping. Sometimes I have to argue with the checkout person about taking it home with my goods. Doesn’t it have your name on it? Conversation sometimes borders on interrogation, but why? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 11:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/17 "2017-07-25T23:53:27Z")
> [@John\_Mace](#): > > I have my own personalized divider that I bring to the store when I go grocery shopping. Sometimes I have to argue with the checkout person about taking it home with my goods. Just out of curiosity - why do you bring your own conveyor belt divider? Why not just use one the store already has? Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Scribble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scribble/32/3317_2.png) [@Scribble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scribble)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2017, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/18 "2017-07-25T23:54:37Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > Big Grocery requires [big dividers](http://news.rutgers.edu/sites/medrel/files/inline-img/Nosker%20right_ties_300x225.jpg). The link doesn’t work. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/19 "2017-07-26T00:05:57Z")
> [@Scribble](#): > > Just out of curiosity - why do you bring your own conveyor belt divider? Why not just use one the store already has? > > Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk If I had my own conveyor belt, I’d see if airplanes could take off from it. Oh, conveyor belt _divider_. NM ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2017, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081/20 "2017-07-26T02:47:13Z")
This thread has me currious: Are there any manufacturing companies that make only ONE product? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-economic-model-for-supermarket-checkout-divider-thingies/792081.md?page=2)