Flip Straws and Food Jars: Stanley's Assault on Good Taste?

28 Sep 2024

Andrew Bluett-Duncan
Director

A week ago, last Thursday, found Paul J, Andi, and I at the second day of the eCommerce Exhibition, which was being held at Excel in London. I’d not been there before, and it was large, and well laid out. My two companions (who run the website software side of the business) were well organised and were hell bent on listening to as many relevant talks, on good internet practice, as the time allowed. I was there for just the morning, had a couple of talks in mind and added a third after discussions with the two of them.

To begin with at least, I had a strong feeling of being completely out of my depth, as I looked uncomprehendingly at the names on the stands, and the products and services they were offering. I felt as though I’d landed in a parallel universe, the surroundings were familiar, but the people and products were alien. After attending the first talk, I began to acclimatise, and started to notice some familiar names, such as Shopify (the software we use for our website), Mailchimp (our old email provider), Klaviyo (our new one) and one or two others that began to give me a feeling of being at home.

Whilst there, and after the first talk, I kept my spirits up with coffee and a ‘sticky bun*’, and was reminded quite how bad these indulgences are (for me), because when checking my blood sugar level (on my Zoe App, that I’ve been wearing for the last fortnight**) I was reminded of just how much glucose there is, in a portion of chocolate cake. Anyway, sugar apart, as I listened to a number of industry experts who spoke in jargon-less English, and one or two entrepreneurs who clearly had interesting products that I could see the benefits of, I gradually had a change of heart and wished I’d been there for both days. I gradually began to feel less like I was being spoken to in a foreign language, it was more, an unfamiliar accent. So, a very good show and earlier this week we had a meeting to go over everything that we’d seen and heard, to share our discoveries and decide on priorities.

If I was short on time last week, then this week is turning out to be very similar, so I’d better get on with trying to sell you something…..

*My phrase for any sweet treat that I have with a coffee, typically when I’m out and about.

**An App for understanding how food affects your body.

Stanley Iceflow Flip Straw Tumbler

Now, I like water just as much as the next man and when driving any distance often take a supply with me. And the bottle I use is about half a litre, a neat design and one handed in operation. So, when I was at the Houseware Show, in June, I came across Nick Gammon, our account manager for Burton McCall. They are the importer of the Stanley brand, and he showed me a very ugly water bottle of almost twice the capacity of mine and told me that they have a waiting list and can’t make enough of them, and that the margin on them was crap…..

I was unimpressed. He then added, within the earshot of my two fellow buyers, that they were very, very trendy. Well, I did my best to say no, but my two buying companions were of a different mind, and it seems they’ve prevailed.

So, here we have it. An apparently popular product, beautifully made (as all Stanley products are) where the demand outstrips manufacturing capacity. It’s double walled to keep drinks cold for 12 hours. Its large diameter is reduced at the base, I presume, to enable it to fit a cup holder. It has a folding carrying handle, which also makes tightening the lid easy. It has a flip up straw that’s too stiff (i.e. it takes two hands to operate) although this prevents accidental opening in your bag. Unlike some alternatives, it’s claim to be leak proof may hold some water, so long as you remember to screw the lid down properly and fold back the drinking straw mouthpiece. You can suck the contents out of its unnecessarily large tank with the built in straw. It comes in a wide range of colours from an insipid pink that they call Rose Quartz, to a lovely Crushed Raspberry that they call Lilac. It’s heavy when empty, which is, I think, a sign of the quality (he said casting around for positives), they are, it has to be admitted, very solidly built, whilst also being ugly as sin.

So, this odd product does have some redeeming features, though not many, for me. But what do I know? It’s sometimes very clear that I am completely out of touch with current trends and worse, that my sense of good taste is frequently called into question. So, whilst in this somewhat defensive mood, I’m drawing the line at offering you money off. Instead, if your “good taste” is so COMPLETELY different to my own and you find yourself attracted to one (or more ) of these things, then you will receive an Art of Living £5 Gift voucher for every Stanley Iceflow Flip Straw Mug (catchy name) you buy at £42.99.

Stanley IceFlow Flip Straw 0.89L Azure (151489) (7312222847034)

Stanley IceFlow Flip Straw Tumbler 0.89L

Stanley

Stanley Classic Legendary Food Jar + Spork

We also stock their food flasks, and I happened to pick up a mid-blue sample to take up to my office, to be able to write with some intelligence about it. This plan was derailed when I noticed that they’d called this blue “Lake”. Now, as any self respecting railway enthusiast knows, and I’m sure you probably do as well, the Great Western Railway painted their coaches in Crimson Lake (dark red) from 1912 to 1922, indeed, the Midland Railway used Lake for their coaching stock until they were merged into the LMS in 1923. And Lake is a dark browny red… a really beautiful colour. So, what are Stanley doing? They have clearly dismissed their design team and now are even getting their colours arse about face. If I were the despairing type, I think I’d be indulging in a dose about now.

Unfortunately, this left me with no will to talk about the flask itself, but having said that, the food flask is, of course, up to Stanley's usual high manufacturing standards. It comes with a spork neatly attached to the side, keeps food hot or cold for seven hours, is leak proof, dishwasher safe, made from recycled, food grade stainless steel and has a lifetime warranty, and is thus a green choice. Buy any Stanley food flask, at £42.99, or matching Stanley Aerolight mug, from £31.99, this weekend and you will also receive an Art of Living £5 Gift Voucher for each one you buy.

Just pop them in your basket and the Gift Voucher will magically appear!