I don’t smoke. With a few exceptions, I don’t particularly care if other people smoke. Don’t smoke around me. Please don’t smoke if you’re pregnant. (I once saw a pregnant woman smoking outside a minor league baseball game in North Carolina.) A friend of mine smokes all the time. I don’t think it’s a smart choice. He knows that. Most people who smoke probably know that. But smoking is their choice as long as they don’t exhale around me.
When I visit the two grocery stores neighboring me, employees are often smoking out front. I see this on a regular basis. I assume people at other businesses smoke out in the face of the front door, but I don’t see it as often as I do at these grocery stores.
Smoking outside grocery stores surprises me. Seeing these smokers is my first impression when walking into the store. I’m rather surprised these businesses permit staff to smoke out front. I wouldn’t want my customers, as they go into the building, walking past employees yapping about work and wafting smoke near my space.
This also surprises me because the business is food: fresh and good for your health food. I presume grocery stores put a lot of time and marketing into branding themselves and their produce. Smokers out front certainly don’t boost that branding. You don’t see people working on old cars or changing oil in front of car dealerships.
I have nothing against these smokers. I have something against where they smoke. You can spend a lot of money on advertising, but from a public relations point of view, some grocery stores are defeating their own image by introducing their new and regular customers with smokers out front.
So here’s some smokin’ public relations advice for grocery stores. Move the smokers to another spot. Maybe subconsciously people will purchase a few more oranges.
How do you like them apples?