This find of a subway-car meat market by Adfreak’s David Kiefaber is the ultimate example of the Place “P” of the marketing mix. Although it isn’t clear whether this car is part of a moving train or perhaps a stationary one, it does open up a world of possibilities. Public transit stations—at least in Vancouver—seem to be an underutilized resource. Even train stations that are not in commercial locations still  serve many people, especially in the mornings and afternoons when many crave a snack or beverage. This is an opportunity for a fast food restaurant or grocery store to operate with little competition—Jugo Juice franchises have in fact taken advantage of this at several locations along the Canada Line, such as at Oakridge 41^st. It’s interesting that this isn’t taken advantage of more—TransLink would earn some apparently much-needed revenue by leasing the space and could even stipulate that businesses on Translink property operate bathrooms to make the Canada Line more user-friendly.

One drawback to this setup in terms of selling to consumers it that many people using the train stations are in a hurry and thus not inclined to wait in line. That’s where in-train stores are particularly ingenious. Busy urbanites could grab dinner as they commute—a perfect solution in our time-poor society. The compromise, of course, is that a train car would have to be permanently sacrificed in order to make room for food prep and storage equipment. For the Canada Line, perhaps an extra car that extends beyond the platform—and thus would be unsuitable for passengers as it does not allow boarding or disembarking—could be added for food cars.