freeshop web hires

8/2/2019 Freeshop Web Hires

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FREESHOP

ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER

WANTS TOPURCHASEIS FREE


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FREE SHOP ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER WANTS TO PURCHASE IS FRE


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FREESHOP

ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER

WANTS TOPURCHASEIS FREE


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7/98SUPERFLEX / FREE SHOP| 9

Fr ShopFree Shop will take place in an ordinary commercial shop. Any goods or servpurchased in the shop by any given customer when Free Shop is performed

free of charge irrespective of the normal sales price of such goods or servicThere must be no sign or other means of information communicating that, or at wtimes, the goods or services in the shop are free of charge. Nor must the conceof Free Shop or the name SUPERFLEX be mentioned during the event. Accingly, a customer in Free Shop must not realize that goods and/or services are of cost before the sales assistant makes out the bill stating the total amount tozero. There must be no information on display as to who is covering the expefor Free Shop (including information on other relevant partners or sponsoThe shop must be economically independent of the person or institution that caout Free Shop. There must be no legal or bene cial interest. P rfor a c of Fr ShopThe limits of Free Shop may designate a maximum total amount of the value of and services which may be used when Free Shop is performed, it may also stiputhe period of time in which Free Shop is to be performed. Information about the

mum total amount or the limited time period must not be displayed in any way customers in Free Shop. Doc tatio of Fr ShopThe documentation of the Free Shop will, as discretely as reasonably possibledocumented in photographic images. Documentation of Free Shop must notundertaken for more than 10% of the time in which Free Shop is performed.

SUPERFLEX/FREE SHOP


8/9810 | FREE SHOP ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER WANTS TO PURCHASE IS FREE


9/98HAUGESUND 2008| 11

HAUGESUND2008

AmunDSen KOLOnIALT p : Groc rLocatio : Haraldsgata 124

nO-5527 Ha g s d

APOTeK 1 LvenT p : Phar acLocatio : Haraldsgata 90

nO-5528 Ha g s d

meGA PIzzA AwAyT p : Fast food r sta ra tLocatio : Haraldsgata 168

nO-5525 Ha g s d

ReIDAR LAnG KeRT p : Orga ic prod c sta d, far rs' ark tLocatio : L rdagstorg t, Rdh splass

nO-5528 Ha g s d

nILLeT p : Hard ar storLocatio : Haraldsgata 94

nO-5528 Ha g s d


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26/9828 FREE SHOP ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER WILL PURCHASE IS FREE


27/98HAUGESUND 2008 / NILLE| 29


29/98KBENHAVN 2006| 31

KBENHAVN2006

STenO APOTeK T p : Phar acLocatio : v st r rogad 6 C

DK-1620 K ha v


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33/98KBENHAVN 2006 / STENO APOTEK| 35


34/9836 | FREE SHOP ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER PURCHASES IS FREE


35/98CIESZYN/J ESK TKN | 37

CIESZYN/F ESK T EN2004SPOem SKLeP nR 51T p : S p r ark t

Locatio : G oka 1PL-43-400 Ci s

PSS SPOem nR 34T p : D licat ssLocatio : ul. R g ra 3

PL-43-400 Ci s

ICe CReAm CAFT p : CafLocatio : Od oj trda 7

Cz-73701 A sk T e

LIquOR STOReT p : Li or storLocatio : Hla i trda 4

Cz-73701 A sk T e


37/98CIESZYN 2004 / SPOEM SKLEP NR 51| 39


38/9840 FREE SHOP


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43/98J ESK TKN / ICE CREAM CAF| 45


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47/98TOKYO 2003| 49

TOKYO2003

FAmILy mARTT p : Co i c storLocatio : Roppo gi Hills, mori To r

6-10-1 Roppo gi, mi ato-kJP-106-6150 Tok o

mAmeDAT p : Fast food r sta ra tLocatio : Roppo gi Hills, mori To r


Am/PmT p : Co i c storLocatio : Roppo gi Hills, mori To r



49/98TOKYO 2003 / FAMILY MART| 51


50/9852 | FREE SHOP ANYTHING THE CUSTOMER WANTS TO PURCHASE IS FREE52 FREE SHOP


51/98 | 53ANYTHING THE COSTUMER WILL PURCHASE IS FREE53


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55/98TOKYO 2003 / MAMEDA| 57


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61/98TOKYO 2003 / AM/PM| 63


63/98BREMEN 2003| 65

BREMEN2003

nuSSbAum ROHmILCHKSeT p : Orga ic ch s sta dLocatio : Fi dorff-mark t

eick dorf r StraDe-28215 br

DOLCe vITA FeInKOSTT p : D licat ssLocatio : Papp lstra 73

De-28199 br

SeLIn FeInKOST IzmIRT p : Gr groc rLocatio : A Do 110

De-28203 br


65/98 | 67BREMEN 2003 67


69/98BREMEN 2003 / DOLCE VITA FEINKOST| 71


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75/98BREMEN 2003 / SELIN FEINKOST IZMIR| 77


77/98INTERVIEW| 79

INTERVIEWS

AmunDSen KOLOnIAL, HAuGeSunDegil A ds , shop o r

Ho as th Fr Shop to o ?Egil Amundsen It was fun! I found it very interesting to observe people and their reactions. Bying that I felt I cold see more of the human behind the customer, if you know what I mean. I foparticularly interesting to talk to the regulars in another way than we are used to.

what r th c sto rs r actio s?EA Some were shocked, some surprised. And they were all thankful. Some asked if they couldmore.

A d hat did o t ll th ?

EA I told them that that was OK.Did th tak or ?EA Yes, some did, but in very modest quantity.

Did o a d o r plo s tak so o rs l s?EA Yes, in modest quantity, about 250 kroner for myself and I told the employees that they coldfor 400 kroner each. That was perhaps a little twisted?

wh is that t ist d?

EA I mean, this was meant for our customers, but all things considered I have to think abouemployees as well.

Did th proj ct ak o r co sid r th prici g polic ?EA Absolutely not.

w r th r a partic lar i cid ts as a r actio to th proj ct?EA Yes, we had several interesting situations. We noticed a woman of foreign heritage, Middle-Eguess, looking at a big and expensive cheese. We could see that she was considering buying it, was hesitating over the price. Finally, we could see that she decided not to buy it, she put it backwas about to leave, when we told her she could have it for free.

So o told h r?EA Absolutely yes. She nearly cried of happiness. I felt so good about it. We got a handcraftedfrom her a few days later. I still feel good about that.



We also had another situation, a gentleman, also from the Middle East I guess. I thought he took toomuch, so I offered him half of it for free. He couldnt afford that so he had to put most of it back.

wh did o do that?EA We had a limited budget. If we allow one customer to take it all at once there would be nothingleft for the other customers. Besides, I think it was a little greedy to be quite honest.

w r th r a gati r actio s?EA None whatsoever, they were all positive.

what a o t th g that had to p t ost of it ack?EA He too was happy for what he got.

I r trosp ct, hat ar o r tho ghts o th proj ct?EA It made this a very good month, businesswise. It was the best month of the year.

Do o s a r l a c of th Fr Shop proj ct to th a cial crisis?EA No, I am not sure I can see that.

Ca o i agi a co o ic s st h r r thi g is fr , al a s?EA No no, that would take all the fun out of running a business.

Do o thi k ill r ha a diff r t co o ic s st tha th ark t co o ha toda ?

EA No, I think we have found the best system.

I o r opi io , hat o ld a good plac to ha a Fr Shop t?EA A place with a lot of people.

APOTeK 1 Lven, HAuGeSunDLi da Joha s , plomarit Aas Lars , ploTro d ma rs th, a ag r

Ho as it?Linda Johansen I was shivering with excitement before we started. I was really looking forward to tellthe customer that it was free, and to see their reactions.

A d hat r th r actio s?LJ My rst customer was a young man about 20 years old. He just said thank you and left, as if noth-ing particular had happened. I felt a bit disappointed about that.Marit Aase Larsen Another customer told me he knew about Free Shop, but still he did not take verymuch. Others were curious, asking why, but we told them nothing, of course.

Did p opl tak or tha s al?LJ With few exemptions, no. Very few took more after they had learned that it was free. Those who


79/98INTERVIEW| 81

did were very anxious to explain that they just forgot it the rst time. They were all afraid to agreedy.MAL One particular customer even insisted that I should see her shopping list, but I saw with myeyes that she made it immediately before she came to the register.

Did th r latio t o a d th c sto r cha g i a a ?LJ NoMAL Perhaps they were a little more polite.

w r th r a partic lar i cid ts r lat d to th proj ct?LJ We were wondering if everything was free for the employees as well. As we got no answeassumed that it was OK.

Ho ch did o tak ?LJ I took for 1600, one of my colleagues took for 2000.MAL I took for 300

Th hat?LJ We started worrying about our colleagues that were off duty. They did not get a chance to get free goods, so we gured that they would perhaps be angry so we handed the problem over to manager, who decided to make a lottery at our annual Christmas party.Trond Maurseth I felt that this was the only way to make things fair.

w r th r a gati r actio s?MAL No, not negative, but some did not react at all.

If a , hat is th r l a c of Fr Shop to th a cial crisis?TM People have less money, and getting something for free has greater value.

Ca o i agi a co o ic s st h r r thi g is fr , al a s?All No, people would hoard.

Do o thi k ill r ha a diff r t co o ic s st tha th ark t co o ha toda ?

All No.

I o r opi io , hat o ld a good plac to ha a Fr Shop t?TM Somewhere where things are expensive, like a car dealer or jewelry store. People refrain

taking more because they do not want to appear greedy, but that would change if more money at stake.

meGA PIzzA AwAy, HAuGeSunDmich l yokha a Sha o , plo

Ho did o xp ri c Fr Shop?Michel Yokhana Shamon It was something new and it was fun.



Ho did th c sto rs r act?MYS They had a shock and they were happy for the free food.

Ho did o xp ri c th proj ct?MYS We were a bit insecure about it, something like this had never happened before.

Did o xp ri c a cha g i th r latio t c sto r a d plo ?MYS Yes.

w r th r a gati r actio s?

MYS No, only positive reactions.Did o r ct o th proj ct aft r ards?MYS Yes.

Do o o rs lf d cid o th pric s i th stor ?MYS No.

Co ld o i agi th co oditi s i th shop to fr al a s?MYS Never!

Do o thi k co ld op rat ith a co o ic s st oth r tha th ark t co oas k o it toda ?MYS Im not sure.

wh r o ld th st plac to do a Fr Shop?MYS I have no idea.

ReIDAR LAnG KeR, HAuGeSunDR idar La gk r, orga ic far r

Ho as th Fr Shop to o ?

Reidar Langker It was interesting, it was touching to see that nobody tried to exploit it.exploit it?RL Yes, by being greedy or coming back for more once they knew it was free.

what r th c sto rs r actio s?RL They were very different. I noticed a difference between the mens and womens reactions. Someof the men were annoyed, but the women seemed to be very happy about it.

wh is that, o thi k?RL I dont know, but perhaps they thought it was a personal gesture from me. Like if I was coming onto them if you know what I mean (smiling). The women might be more familiar with the situationgetting a gift from a man than the men.


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Did o tak a thi g for o rs lf or tip a o a o t th proj ct?

RL No, Im not like that.Lik that?RL I mean dishonest.

Did th r latio t o a d th c sto rs cha g i a a ?RL I think it turned more positive, except for the men that were offended.

w r th r a partic lar i cid ts as a r actio to th proj ct?RL Oh yes, several. One fellow, of Arab heritage I believe, wanted to buy sh. His Norwegianpoor, but I managed to convince him that it was for free. He kept asking me: sh bad?, obvithinking that he got it for free because it was spoiled. I tried to explain to him that the sh was gand he investigated it, nding nothing wrong with it. I could see that he was unable to makesense of it, other than that the sh had to be bad. In the end he took the sh and went away. Mguess is that the cat got a st class meal that evening (laughing).

There were also the incidents with the offended men. One particular guy insisted that he shouldat least half of it, and he wouldnt accept otherwise. There was also a lady who found some cabbthat was damaged by snails. That is not uncommon on ecologic products, you know. She startebargain the price. The rules of the project are that I am not allowed to tell her that its free beforactually is about to pay, so I had to bargain with her as usual. We settled at half price. Then whenwas about to pay I told here that it was free. That made her very unhappy, she obviously thoughhad offended me and that I refused to accept payment.

Ca o i agi a co o ic s st h r r thi g is fr , al a s?RL Absolutely not, how should that work?

Do o thi k ill r ha a diff r t co o ic s st tha th ark t co o ha toda ?RL There should be no VAT on food, and there should be food production in all countries! Thimportant to the cultural landscape and to the cultural heritage.

I o r opi io , hat o ld a good plac to ha a Fr Shop t?RL I dont know. I was so proud and emotionally touched by the people who didnt get greedy if it was free. I would have been disappointed if it was not so. It depends what you are trying toonstrate. Perhaps some place far away where people dont have much money.

STenO APOTeK, KbenHAvnmia L is Tho s , phar aco o ist

what as it lik , th Fr Shop proj ct?Mia Luise Thomsen It was something quite different, but it was also great fun and a very positexperience. I had the evening shift and it turned out to be an evening lled with fun and surpr

Ho did th c sto rs r act?



MLT Some were really surprised and one even asked, if it was because it was the end of the Rama-dan... it was so funny, because she simply couldnt understand it. There were also many who justgave me an odd look and said I see and left, because they found it totally weird and thought wewere kidding them. We also had one customer who left and then came back again to embark on atotal shopping spree.

So th r as o l o ho took ad a tag of th sit atio ?MLT Yes, but some spread the word to their colleagues at work, so people came in droves...

Did a od ask hat it as all a o t?MLT Only very few. If people asked us why it was free, we just told them that we were doing a project,and then they actually didnt pursue it any further.

As plo s, hat as o r xp ri c of th proj ct?MLT Well, at rst, I must admit I was a little nervous about how to handle the practical side of it howto tell it to the customers and what to do with the cash register. I guess that was my main concern,really.

Did o f l a cha g s i th r latio t c sto r a d shop assista t?MLT Yes I did. You know, most people expect to be obliged to put down a substantial amount ofmoney when they visit the pharmacy and, from what I can tell, the customers arent always exactlythrilled to have to go the pharmacy, because they feel they have to wait a long time and pay a lotof money and we cant help but come across as slightly unaccommodating, since we have a prettystrict set of rules to follow. So, yeah, I would de nitely say that there was a change there, becausesuddenly people saw us as real persons...

wh o ga a a o r prod cts fr of charg , did this ak o r ct o th pricpolic ithi o r ra ch of trad ?

MLT Well, you saw how much it meant to people to save that money. Fertility medications, for in-stance, are very expensive, and it was wonderful to be able to give something like that to people forfree. And it did give me pause to think of the incredible amount of money that is spent on this sortof thing by society as such and by the individual consumers. I mean, diseases and ailments such asallergies, high cholesterol or diabetes, this is not something you choose to have and yet you areforced to pay a lot of money for the proper medication.

Did o xp ri c a sp ci c i cid ts i r actio to th proj ct?MLT What I remember as the coolest kind of reaction, was when it just made people so happy andthey said Listen, I cant thank you enough for this and told us how we had just saved their student

economy for this month! Those were the reactions I remember most clearly and cherish the most.w r th r a gati r actio s?MLT Well, there were all those who thought that we were taking the piss and just left without sayingthanks or anything. Also, a fair amount of people with mental disorders come here, and they some-times dont react very well to changes in the normal routine. So we actually experienced a very widerange of reactions to this project.

A s s t tho ghts o th proj ct?MLT It was de nitely loads of fun to take part in the project! It was something quite different from theusual humdrum. And it was nice to be able to make others happy.


83/98INTERVIEW| 85

SPOem SKLeP nR 51, CIeSzynnn, shop assista t

Ho s th actio goi g i o r shop?NN Very well, we had some problems early on when people rushed for the stuff at rst, it was hto handle, but now its rather quiet.

what ar th c sto rs r actio s?NN Well, some act quite funny. Ask us if we have had a sunstroke or something. But usually thpleasantly surprised. Theyre happy to be leaving the shop with something they didnt pay for.

Ho as it ith th rst-da r sh?NN We were very surprised, because it was mostly young people. They were taking everythingwhen we told them it was nished, they dropped their baskets where they stood and left everythin a mess. We had to tidy the place up.

Has th r a ki d of a o of i for atio ? Do p opl call ach oth r or ri gfri ds?NN Perhaps they call other people upon leaving the shop. If they meet someone, they say: Go ththey give things away for free. Perhaps its like that, but I dont really know. In general, we hamore and more young customers.

Did th shop g t or pop lar d ri g th actio ?NN I guess so, allthough there are many young people in Cieszyn at this time anyway, so our turngrows.

what do p opl ask a o t? Do th tr to d o t hat its all a o t?NN Yes, theyre curious. We tell them its a special offer related to a festival taking place in CieSometimes they ask who the sponsor is. We tell them we dont know, a lady simply comes and bmoney. And people can take stuff for free for that money.

Ho a o t poor, ho l ss p opl . Do th co as ll?NN No, they dont come to us because we dont sell the stuff they like, but we do get some vmodest people and theyre happy about this special offer.



PSS SPOem nR 34, CIeSzynnn, shop assista t

Ho has th actio goi g o i o r stor ?NN The action went really great on the rst day. People were simply surprised, they kept asking ques-tions. There were many shoppers from Germany. We explained to them what occasion it was. Thesecond day was worse. People already knew what was going on and there were some disputes.

what ki d of disp t s?NN One customer came, bought something, left, but came again, and this time didnt buy the samething as the rst time but came to build up a stock. Because its free today! We had to admonishthem because they werent supposed to know it was for free. But then the money ran out and thecrowds ended.

what r th stori s a o t th all ts?NN On Monday morning, right after wed opened, a customer came and ordered a salad and somesandwiches. When I gave her the receipt, she looked at the sum and says: Oh my, Ive forgotten mywallet. Another guy came for a cold Pepsi. He expected it to be free: Oh, Im sorry, Ive forgottemy money.

Ha o otic d a o of i for atio ? Do th c sto rs t ll ach oth r a o t th sp cial off r?NN Yes, and theyre sending their children. Thats sad for me, for if we have this nice action then itshould be for everyone. And the funniest thing was that one day a man came and, allthough he knewabout the special offer, he paid for everything he bought, said thank you, and left.

ICe CReAm CAF , AeSK THnnn, shop assista t

Ho s th actio goi g i o r caf?NN Everythings going well. Everybodys happy. Our regular customers come and take advantage ofthe special offer.

A d o o s or tha s al?NN No, I havent seen people take more because its free.

A d hat ar th p opl s r actio s?NN Theyre quite puzzled. They ask whether everything is OK with me and if Im nuts!

Ha o otic d a o of i for atio ? Do p opl call ach oth r or ri g fri ds?NN No, I havent noticed anything like that.

Do o f l o had or si ss tha s al?


85/98INTERVIEW| 87

NN Well, yes, its busier.

what ki d of stio s do p opl ask h th l ar a o t th sp cial off r?NN Whos the sponsor, what kind of an even it is, how long will it last, are drinks included, andquestions like that.

Do lo -i co c sto rs co h r or oft o ?NN No, its mostly the regulars.

LIquOR STORe, AeSK THnnn, shop assista t

Ho did th actio go i o r stor ?NN Well, differently. Some would take the stuff and leave, others wanted to pay.

w r th s rpris d?NN Some very much so, they couldnt believe it.

w r th r sit atio s ith p opl taki g or tha s al po l ar i g that it as forfr , or r t r i g for or ?NN Some returned, but then I wouldnt give them anything for free.

Did p opl ask o hat ki d of a actio it as? what did o t ll th ?NN Yes, some asked. I told them it was a kind of art project and that it had to do with the festiv

FAmILy mART, TOKyOKota Hiro o, stor a ag r

Shiho ujii , part-ti ork ry i naka a a, part-ti ork rIchiro miida, s p r isor of Tok o First District, m g ro Ar a

what do o thi k a o t th Fr Shop?Kota Hirono I felt I was lucky. This is the sort of thing a store manager will usually never do ientire life. Sometimes we do unusual services such as a thirty-yen discount service at shop openBut this kind of thing would never happen in any convenience store in Japan.Shiho Ujiie I was surprised.Yui Nakazawa I doubted it was true.Ichiro Miida I was at a loss for words. To be honest, I thought it wasnt art. I thought that it wode nitely cause problems. But it turned out for the best and made the customers happy.



what happ d d ri g th Fr Shop?KH It was really a wonderful experience. Within just ten seconds people showed all sorts of emotionssuch as surprise, joy, suspiciousness and nervousness. All at the same time. Moreover, I realized thathuman beings are good by nature. The customers looked like children. I expected a sort of panic.That people would take away all the items from the shelves. Actually, we had several company em-ployees on standby in the back of the shop just in case some sort of a riot happened.SU Women were just surprised and said Oh, really? Why? The men looked more angry as if theywere thinking What? You are kidding. Anyway I am in a hurry.YN Its been a long while since I have enjoyed working at the register. It was a very fresh experience.I enjoyed watching the customers faces.IM Compared with foreigners, Japanese customers had little reaction. I guess it depends on wherethis project is carried out. If we did this project in a residential zone of Setagaya-ku, neighbourhoodhousewives might queue up for the free items. Since its Roppongi Hills most of the customers areof ce employees who work here. I guess they might be too embarrassed to do that sort of thing infront of the other workers.

Did a thi g sp ci c happ d ri g th Fr Shop that o fo d i t r sti g?KH I found that it wasnt peoples facial expressions, but their actions that changed when confrontedwith this unusual situation. They stopped at the register for longer. You see that various emotionscame to their mind, and then they went silent.SU Usually there is no conversation between the customers and us. But in this project, I talked withthe customers and smiled naturally. The customers surprised look was very interesting.YN Communicating with customers was interesting.IM I only stood behind a cash register once during this project. It was dif cult for me to respond tocustomers when they asked Is it really free? There was one customer who came to the register onceagain to check if it really was free. I expected that he would take expensive items. But he only tookthree instant noodles and one chocolate.

what as for o th ost i t r sti g?SU The reaction of foreigners who came at the second day was very interesting.YN Mostly, people went silent when they were surprised.IM The lack of expression on Japanese peoples faces.

If o r a c sto r, ho do o thi k o o ld r act to this?IM If I had known about this project, I would have taken expensive things. If not, I would have had littreaction and would probably just say Oh, really?

Did o jo th Fr Shop?

KH It gave me goose bumps. For the rst time in a long while, I felt freshness and was impressed.Mr. Miida stood behind the register for the rst time in years and was very excited. Before this, I hadalways felt that Mori Art Museum was posh and stuck-up. But after experiencing this project, I feel alot closer to the museum.SU Yes, I enjoyed it.YN It was great fun.IM I enjoyed this project very much. Furthermore, my photo is showed in the gallery of the art mu-seum and that is a very rare experience.


87/98INTERVIEW| 89

mAmeDA, TOKyOmi or e is , a ag r of Tok o Sal s D part tKats hi Aiga, shop assista t

wh r o i for d a o t th Fr Shop?Katsuhi Aiga In the morning on the day. I thought it was a rare and strange experience.

what do o thi k a o t th Fr Shop? Minoru Ebisu I felt that it was like a TV comedy and an interesting project. But I wondered if ireally art. I know that sometimes just a tin can or a plastic bottle can be an art piece. I think thawide range of art is interesting.what happ d d ri g th Fr Shop?KA The customers were confused rather than surprised.

Did a thi g sp ci c tak plac d ri g th Fr Shop that o fo d i t r sti g?KA There was an incidence with two customers standing at the register and where the second cutomer tried to pay even after seeing the rst customer getting the items for free. Only few customasked for the reason. Most of them seemed to accept the situation and looked happy when they rthe Free Shop paper. Only one called to ask about the reason after the project.ME In general, men had less reaction than young people or women did.

what as for o th ost i t r sti g part?KA Often, when the customers heard that it was free they had no reaction. Perhaps because thdidnt expect it. They looked as if they hadnt heard me. But after telling them that it was free three times, they were surprised.ME The project itself is interesting. I wonder how people would react if this project were to be caout in a fashion house? Its interesting because its about peoples greed.

Did o jo th Fr Shop?KA Yes!ME I enjoyed this project very much.

Am/Pm, TOKyOy ko e do, stor a ag rma a no a, plo

what do o thi k a o t th Fr Shop?Yuko Endo First, I thought that art comes in various forms but that I couldnt understand it.Manabu Noma I wished I could have been a customer. I wanted to be in the shop as a customer, na shop worker. I thought it was interesting, but I was wondering if people would realize it.

wh r o i for d a o t th Fr Shop?MN When I came to the shop on the day of the project. It was about thirty minutes before the F



Shop were to begin. Actually a week ago, the shop manager told me that something would happenbut she couldnt tell us what it was.

what happ d d ri g th Fr Shop?YE Nothing really happened. Often, people went silent for a moment. But nothing unexpected hap-pened. However, I had a very good time with a constant smile on my face. I enjoyed this project verymuch.MN People showed little reaction, much less than I had expected. It was as if they just thought Oh,really?. If I had been a customer, I would have gotten more excited.

Did a thi g sp ci c tak plac d ri g th Fr Shop that o fo d i t r sti g?YE The surprising fact was that nothing really happened except in the case where one customercame to the shop twice after realizing the project. I was surprised that nothing bad or the sort ofpanic I had expected never happened. In this sense, I was disappointed. I wonder if this has to dowith the kind of people working in this area People who work in Roppongi Hills are kind of speciaOr perhaps, this is just how modern people are? Maybe if they had experienced this with somebodythey knew, they might have shown their reaction more?MN Normally I dont see the customers feelings that well. In this project, I saw customers reactionsvery clearly. It was like playing a prank.

what as for o th ost i t r sti g part?YE It was very funny that so many staff members stood behind the register counter to be ready forthis project, even though the shop was never crowded. Actually, the situation on our part was fun-niest.MN It was that I could say Its free. Normally I never say that.

Did o jo th Fr Shop?YE Yes. It was very interesting. Initially I felt that this would be a happy thing for customers but no

for us. We could see very unusual reactions from the customers, and this was a great and very rareexperience.MN I really enjoyed the unusual situation. I enjoyed seeing the customers reaction. It was like a kindof game or like candid camera.

nuSSbAum ROHmILCHKSe, bRemenmicha l n ss a , shop o rHali a Str d i ka, shop o r

So, hat r p opl s r actio s?Halina Strzedzinka Most of them were pretty cool about it: Oh, thats nice. As if we were justpulling their legs. And when we insisted, they just stood there and shook their heads. And then theyeither tried to physically force us to take the money, or they stood their confused and asked if it wasour birthday, or anniversary, or if we had won the lottery. There were a couple of women who laterbought some cheese just a couple pieces, and insisted on paying. They accepted the gift therst time, but then they said: OK, then Ill buy some cheese, but I would like to pay for that. A fewcustomers reacted like that by then trying to buy some more. And when I once again produced thereceipt for zero Euros, they almost fell apart. They really didnt know how to react anymore! Wha


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was interesting was that more and more people were standing in line, and that eventually somewas going to catch on before placing their order but apparently, it was so completely beyond comprehension of how things function at the market, that they really didnt gure out what was gon. And when it was their turn they too would be completely surprised. Rarely did someone on while standing in line.

Michael Nussbaum I think that people didnt make the connection from what they saw to wwas about to happen to them. The situation was something that they noticed, but I dont thinkexpected the same situation to happen again. They probably thought: Well, he was lucky or sthing. Thats what made the whole situation so absurd that they were really just shopping, itotherwise just a normal day at the market. There were rarely situations when people came back for more or asked for a larger portion.

We had fairly normal sales today or rather I acted just like normal and there were the situationarise like they always do you show someone a piece of cheese, and with your hand gauge folittle more or a little less in front of the customer. They then might reply with, a little less. Aat that moment I was thinking: Come on, they must have caught on by now. Who cares if I cut bit more or less, but that mentality is so engrained. They say that very same sentence their wlives. That is how they shop but then something ips everything and its hard to accept, in factprobably would rather not accept it. Thats how it works thats how they work. When they cothe market each week, that is what they expect.

HS And then there were a couple of women who did catch on before they placed their order, butbought very little: We cant do that. We couldnt possibly do that to you. What are you doing?made a very small purchase so as not to harm our business.

MN Yeah, that was how it was in the beginning. At rst I was somehow a little nervous, thinkinwould sell less. Mostly because people were so disturbed that they didnt know how to deal. W

they gured out what was going on, they couldnt concentrate on what they were actually therbuy in the rst place. Probably the same thing was going on in all of their heads, that: Well, thhave some more. No, thats not right! And they went back and forth and suddenly werent aconcentrate on cheese anymore. I totally understand where they were coming from. You go instore and suddenly you can take everything for free. When it takes you by surprise, youre notto cope.

y s, its a it of a fa tas . w also tho ght a o t this i th arl stag s of this proj ct:what ill happ ? what sho ld thi k a o t ah ad of ti ? Th s ar co o fa -tasi s for r o . what if p opl ca a d j st took r thi g o c th fo d o t

it as all for fr to t st th li it. It did t happ at all. Ho ca o xplai th factthat p opl act d ith s ch r strai t? what ca s d that?

HS I think it has something to do with the fact that it is a completely different audience. Its noaudience that is looking for handouts or give-aways. Our audience has a more goal-orientated of shopping they know what they want, and they come to get it. They arent looking for the sdeals. I think if you had chosen a different vendor, the Holland Cheese vendor, for example, twould have gone a little differently. Just different types of people, I guess. There were two wwho came three times. They had never shopped with us before, and somehow they gured out wwas going on. They came once, and tested it out, came again, and then again

MN In our business, we spend a lot of time talking about cheese. They decide what cheese thwant and then we talk about how much they want. It usually takes a while until we get to the poexchanging money. That is of course an important part. Its important for us, and it is important



customer how much they are paying. I often get the phrase: And now you get some money from me.And I usually say: Your right, to close the deal. Its practically just stating the facts, I guess. Peoplacted like they always do. Those who are always frugal with their purchases were frugal with theirpurchases today. Those who are always generous buy generous portions.

HS We thought that people would buy the cheeses that theyve never tried before. Like Roquefortor Swiss for the example the expensive cheeses. But that didnt really happen. People just boughtthe same cheese that they always do.

w alr ad tri d this sort of xp ri t ith volk r K fro Dolc vita i th Pap-p lstrass a d h had a si ilar xp ri c ith c sto rs r strai i g th s l s. I

starti g to li that it has so thi g to do ith th sal s sit atio a d th fact thato r ot r all a o o s i th s sc arios. ma it o ld diff r t i a larg r

s p r ark t. Th r ar diff r t p opl ho go th r , t a it o ld asi r toll a shoppi g cart a d proc d to th r gist r.

HS If you dont look, when no one is watching one doesnt feel so on edge. But when you have directcontact between the customer and seller, it's different. The customer feels a social responsibility forthe seller. This is something that is normally not so visible. When they say, Excuse me, what? It canbe free. Whats wrong with you? Am I supposed to ruin you? There is something like that going onhere. Some sort of social element is at play.

HS Yes, exactly. You de nitely have a point there. But I also think its about standing and looking theseller in the eye. Very different in a supermarket where you dont see anyone and you are justpushing the shopping cart around without thinking twice about lling it up.

Did o xplai to o r or irat c sto rs hat as goi g o ?MN Well, I have to say, that was really dif cult sometimes. I would have been very happy to have had

a clear direction about what to do in those situations. Sometimes I didnt say a thing, sometimes Isimply said, That has already been paid for. Of course the goal was to cultivate a kind of confusionThe only thing was, we were the ones standing there, causing all this confusion. People even askedus: Are you ever going to come back? or Is this some sort of sales promotion?

HS Or: Are you having a clearance sale?

MN Or: Thank you. I thought that also didnt really seem right that people were thanking us. Thais why I started saying, That has already been paid for, or something like that. It always dependedon the situation. Once I said, Everyone has his necessities, a rather anarchistic phrase I guess. And

the woman looked at me and said: Do I look that needy? And I said No, necessity, not needs, butnecessities.

I this proj ct th r is hat o ight call a t r i g poi t that li s ith th dors. Thdors, or sal s-p opl , sort of d t r i hat happ s. Th r is a pi otal o t

that happ s t th s ll rs a d rs alo . Do o thi k th c sto rs co ld s s that th ir r actio s r act all hat it as a o t? A o t diss cti g this pi otalxcha g t dor a d c sto r?

MN Well, I didnt really have the impression that there was a lot of that happening. There were a fewwho left saying: Im going to have to think about what just happened here Or there was an oldlady: See, something wonderful happened to me today. I think that people were left wondering.

HS It was also interesting to see the way people acted like they had all the time in the world. Usually


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very exciting.

Ho did th c sto rs r act?VK Well, people were pretty amazed across the board. There were a few who came back to buy asecond time. And of course there were most likely a few people who were prepared ahead of time through gossip that took place in my absence. Many people reacted with thanks or said: Wow, thatsunbelievable, whats going on here? What is this about? And a lot of them couldnt take the situationseriously. They thought I was making a joke or trying to fool them. So I repeated myself, twice, thretimes: Its really OK, its paid, you can take it and you can go home with it. This is really not a jokeAs soon as I noticed that the customer was more than just amazed but had big questioning eyes Ireferred them to the concept, well, as much as I was able. I think they were so taken with this initialshock that they werent in a position or even willing to listen to a 10-minute speech something thatoften happens in the store.There were a few that couldnt deal with the situation. They obviously had problems taking gifts fromme. I don't know whether they had problems with the situation itself or speci cally because it wasme, someone they know from behind the counter. This a small shop, and many people go out of theirway to shop here in order to support my small business. And that is clearly the absurd part to thenget something for free in that very shop you are trying to support. But I have to say that most of themwere into the idea, with only a few exceptions. A few said: Hey, thats great, super but we wouldrather not take this as a gift. We would rather spend our money here as a donation for the cause, atleast. Saying something like that seemed to give them pleasure or at least thats how it appearedto me. I think its fascinating to experience how they were so excited about receiving a gift that theydecided to give a gift as well. They transformed the gift really wonderfully.

There was a customer who had real dif culties she actually just bought two drinks from me overthe course of the day (for free, of course) and then in the evening she bought a bottle of wine, orsomething like that. She is a regular customer, and she comes in every day and buys a lot from me.And then, on her last visit that day, she said, No, ok, enough I cant do that anymore. I want to pay

this time. She really insisted. And I said: Im sorry, I cant. My register isnt able to do that today. I played with her a bit, and at out refused. I should say, I also know her really well, actually. But shewas really bothered by the whole situation as she said: So, Volker, thanks a lot, I will take this, but will also come tomorrow and well talk about it: I want to pay for this. I simply replied: Ok, then wtalk about it again tomorrow. She was really the only one who fought it. She would have felt betterif I had just let her pay. I made her life a little dif cult, I guess, but I think that that is what the wholthing is about to see how different kinds of people react differently.

Did th c sto rs otic that th hol proj ct as act all a o t th ir r actio s? Thatth r act all th s j ct of this tir happ i g? Did o g t th i pr ssio that

th r a ar of this?VK Well, luckily, I dont think they were. Then again, its dif cult to say, the customers didnt expresstheir feelings or their thoughts about it really. I think if they had realized that they were unwittingly taing part in some sort of game which is exactly what this is, I guess or if they had realized it wastheir reaction that we were after, they would have been a little insulted or upset or even angry, orworse. That didnt really happen, and I think that the whole thing just took them by surprise more thananything. In that moment, they werent really sure what to think. Later, I heard about conversationthat customers had had with each other, and I also spoke with some of them who said things like:Well if I had known what was going on, I would have had a little more fun with the whole situatioand reacted a little differently.

So, aft r th fact, o did sp ak ith p opl a o t that da agai ?VK That was interesting, actually the way people were sitting outside drinking coffee until closing,enjoying themselves so much that they didnt want to leave. They all just stayed. And they also man


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aged to involve me in the end. I also sat down and we all stayed until the late hours of the eve having a grand old time. Everyone was talking about a lot of things, but the topic of the evenincertainly the strange events of the day it caused quite a stir. The fact that many of these customcome in every day or two or three times a week, at least and then suddenly there is somethstrange going on. All of a sudden, they are sharing their living room with an invisible institutioinvisible artists who turned my business and me into a kind of instrument. I was just the vehicsomething else entirely.

Ar th r l ts ithi th id a of th Fr Shop that ar i spiri g for o , for o rsi ss, for o r r latio ship to o r c sto rs or for o r pla s i th f t r ?

VK Yes, de nitely. In fact, one realization hit me like a ton of bricks: buyer behaviour. Somethinif Im honest, I would like to see become a bit more extravagant in my shop. In these dif cult ecotimes, the customers are much more modest and cautious. Many of these people buy one pieor maybe two, compared to at larger supermarkets, where their shopping carts are all full. Fothats well, this process really just isolated the behaviour of my customers for me again. Intenof course sales were good, so it did make a difference. But for the most part, no one really wfor it and shamelessly helped him or herself. And that is really representative of normal shobehaviours for most of my customers. I guess, in the end, that realization saddened me a bit. guess I realized that its really too bad that people are so discrete and modest and not a bit mself-indulgent in the end. Thats one thing, and the second is that I found the whole thing persovery interesting: I realized I was quite cheeky cheekier as a salesman.

I was more brazen with my solicitation the way I approached the customers. Usually, Im nonot such a good salesman. I can be quite shy and dont want to give the customer the idea thatwell, that I want them to empty their wallets but Id rather that they feel comfortable. Of coursshould buy things, but more importantly, they should leave feeling good. On that day, I realizedwas a bit more forward. A situation that exempli es this for me was this: Normally I would lookon the counter and I would ring it up. When the customer looks at me expectantly, I know: that

tell them the total and hand them the receipt. But on that particular day, I asked the customer agIs that it? because I wanted to see their reaction. I wanted to enjoy that moment, just before I that look of surprise was going to cross their face! I mean Im standing behind the counter between the customer and me are all the goods I just rang up in the register. I know whats abouhappen, but the customer doesnt have a clue. That moment of expectation was priceless. And tto just give them the receipt and say: Thatll be zero Euros I found that to be extremely ining that I somehow became more self-assured in approaching and speaking with the customThat aspect was really fascinating.

SeLIn IzmIR FeInKOST, bRemenC al o S li , shop o r

Ho as it th ? what did o sa to th isitors? what r so co o s-tio s?Cemal von Selin Most of them were shocked at rst: What? Free? Why? And you told me I wasallowed to say, why ... and so on. I had the brochure with the concept, which I then gave to theread. Im not supposed to say anymore than that, am I?



yo s d to ha r o d o rs lf r ll fro th hol affair. yo r a l togi r all short a s rs, Thats ho it is toda a d so o ...CvS If I had told my customers one or two days in advance, they would have been waiting outsidethe door before 8 in the morning. I didnt even tell my colleagues (laughs). They werent supposed toknow, its a secret a surprise. It has to be a project. If they knew ahead of time, then their reactionswould be different, you know?

Did th c sto rs ask a o t it?CvS Yes, on the next day probably over 20 customers asked: Is everything free again today?Today I was saying: The event is over, today nothing is for free. Youll have to pay.

Ca o talk a littl it a o t ho th da as for o ? It as r i t at rst a d thpick d p d ri g th co rs of th da CvS The day was really exhausting. Until the middle of the day, it was very quiet and not very hecticat all. But everyone was talking about it all over town and then they all started coming.

So aro d 2 oclock it r all start d to diff r t. Th th ik ss g rs start dto sho pCvS Yeah, normally they come around 11 oclock to take some of the stuffed dumplings for lunch.On this particular day, they all came around 2 pm. They must have heard late, otherwise they wouldhave been here earlier.

y ah, th did t a lot, th took a f packs of cigar tt s, or a cola, or hat?CvS It seems they werent really sure what was going on. Once they nally realized what was goingon, it was too late, you know. They all came back around 6 they usually come back around 6 or 7to buy a beer or something: Are things still for free? Nope, too late, I said.

Th r r also p opl th r , ho r r all xcit d! I sa a o a h r i th or -

i g. I thi k sh ight ha T rkish? A s all o a , ho as r all cstatic a das la ghi gCvS Oh yeah, of course, the large purchase. She comes in almost every week, Thursdays or Fridaysand stocks up for the weekend. At rst she got all red in the face, right? Whats going on here?She was shocked and speechless. I think she was really happy because I think she has two or threekids.

exactl , thi gs r r all hoppi g. T ll a littl it a o t hat o it ss d o rth da .CvS Some people came a second time, but even then they didnt take a lot of expensive things not

really sure why. If I were to have come a second time, I would have taken cigarettes or wine or othergood things. But even on the second visit they just took small things. Some took just what theyreally needed. They didnt seem to just think: Well, if its free, Ill take a lot. And then of course, thewere those people saying: Well, if its free, Ill take everything!

Th r r so p opl th r ho o ght so sa sag s.CvS Yeah, we know them from somewhere; her husband came in the morning, the one with theconstruction site. He rst just bought a water, and then they came back to buy bread and sausagefor breakfast, small things all for free. And then in an hour, maybe two, she came back with herkid. Strange, because these people dont usually shop with us, you know? They usually shop at thelarger Turkish shops, where things are a little cheaper. But on that particular day, I noticed them andtherefore asked myself, Who is this woman? Because she spoke Yugoslavian. And I understandYugoslavian, you know. And I thought: OK, this is the wife and child from the man who came earlieShe bought two packages of sausage and that sort of thing... without even thinking twice, you know,


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she must have been tipped off. Yeah, when they know, then they are very con dent. Otherwise, would normally ask about the price.

And then completely random people started showing up because their colleagues had beenearlier, from the other shop. There was a customer who came in, I think, who also goes shopover there. And he must have told him what happened. I guess its cheating, you know. So he cover and asked: So whats up, whats the problem? I said something like: I dont have a proEverything is completely normal. Then why are you giving things away for free? And then I jSpecial. He even sent his wife over later and what a woman she was. As she came up to the ister to check out, she asked without even getting out here wallet Everythings free, huh?it is, I said. She buyed for nearly 60 Euros worth.

A d th it j st got si r a d or co f si g. Ho a p opl r i h r as a o c d that th hol thi g as o r?CvS More than 20, I think. There were at least 12 or 13 lined up to the door, and over on the seven more. They left 14 full baskets they were really full everything they could carry. Withinute, everyone put down their basket and left. Suddenly everyone was gone. I knew everyone wleave their baskets, and I started to collect them, not that someone would try to walk out with coffee or something it could happen, you know.

Did so o tr it? At that o t, o od a t d to pa a or ? I a , ho didall thos p opl catch o so ickl ?CvS Because I said: OK, its over. Now with money. Everyone heard that. One, maybe two, wto pay. And then it was over.

That a s, that o r 20 p opl k that r thi g as for fr . Th ca h r to shop for fr . So th s did g t aro d.CvS Exactly. It was (laughs) like a bomb scare. People kept coming and poked their head

asking if everything was still free. I just said, No, its over. Oh, what a shame they said, again without buying a thing.

Do o thi k this t ill so ho gi o a p rsp cti o o r ork? Is th r so thi g that sticks o t as so thi g that o ha gai d k o l dg fro or gi so r aso to po d r? I ot sa i g that o co ld al a s gi thi gs a a for fr ,t

CvS No, no, this event certainly provided some level of advertising for me, I would say. Beforewere only older customers who I havent seen in long time. And in the last few days, Im seeingagain. For smaller businesses like this one, this event is like a small advertisement for free. An

its a hard time for small businesses right now, economic dif culties. And things like this can brlittle energy into the shop. Not a lot, but a little


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Published by: Pork Salad PressVester Farimagsgade 6, 5.DK-1606 Copenhagenwww.porksaladpress.org

Super exBlgrdsgade 11bDK-2200 Copenhagenwww.super ex.net

In collaboration with: Dynamo Haugesund 2008, HaugesundGesellschaft fr Aktuelle Kunst, Bremen

Editors: Pernille Albrethsen, Jacob FabriciusDesign: Copenhagen Brains, Super exPrinting and binding: Narayana PressTypeface: Akzidenz-Grotesk

ISbn 978-87-91409-41-7

no cop right. no lic s . 2009. All for s of cop i g a d r prod ctio is co rag d.A fr digital rsio of this ook is a aila l at: .s p r x. t/fr shop

PRODUCTION


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CREDITS

HAUGESUND 2008Context: Dynamo Haugesund 2008 , Haugesund KommuneCurators: shild Grana, Bernhard stebPhoto: Edgar G. Bachel, Super exInterview: Torleif Lothe, Sylvain Berland

KBENHAVN 2006

Context: 700% PLUS KBH Kunsthal Centenniale , Kbh KunsthalCurators: Jesper Dyrehauge, Jacob Fabricius, Anders Gaardbo Jensen,

Lotte Juul PetersenPhoto: Bothild Una Jensen, Jacob FabriciusInterview: Maria Kjr Themsen

CIESZYN/ F ESK T EN 2004

Context: The Parallel Action , Foksal Gallery Foundation in collaboration with the 4Film Festival Era New Horizons, Gutek Film

Curators: Sebastian Cichocki, Joanna Mytkowska, Andrzej PrzywaraPhoto: Foksal Gallery Foundation, Super exInterview: Katarzyna Szydowska

TOKYO 2003

Context: Happiness , Mori Art MuseumCurators: David Elliott, Fumio Nanjo, Pier Luigi TazziPhoto: Keizo Kioku, Super exInterview: Asako Ogita.

BREMEN 2003Context: Niemand ist ein Insel , Gesellschaft fr Aktuelle KunstCurators: Horst Griese, Eva SchmidtPhoto: Horst Griese, Frank Push, Super exInterview: Horst Griese

S p r x o ld lik to tha k all th participati g shop o rs, plo s, c sto rs,c rators, assista ts, photograph rs a d i t r i rs.


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HAUGESUNDKBENHAVNCIESZYN/F ESK T EN

TOKYOBREMEN

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