PC design

That's PC as in President's Choice -- the Loblaw's house brand, whose housewares were recently re-designed by Joseph Mimran.

We have joined the tens of thousands of Canadians who have purchased the PC toaster. Not only that, we followed it up with the coffee maker. And they both look good in the kitchen too.

The toaster -- sleek, slightly rounded, chrome, retro -- has become the poster child for the President's Choice brand.

Visit the PC Financial website, and there it is ("Bank fees are toast."). Walk into a Loblaw's (or The Real Atlantic Superstore, as it's known in these parts) and there are posters featuring it.

Why are people buying this stuff in droves? The same reasons people shop at IKEA. You get (depending on what you buy) slick design at reasonable prices, and President's Choice continues to successfully market itself as inexpensive, reliable -- and at the same time, slightly up-market and sophisiticated. Which is really quite a neat trick.

Another element of the products' appeal is their simplicity. The toaster has a dial which you can use to make your toast darker or lighter. There is also a bagel button (toasts one side more than the other). And that's about it. There is no reheat setting, no adjustable bread guide, no extra wide slots.

It's part of the same trend that sees a master chef like Michael Noble taking on the development of dishes for the Earls restaurant chain (why no apostrophe, goddammit!). You too can have fine food/design/clothing without paying too much for it and still separate yourself from the Wal-Mart shoppers.

Twenty years from now, if there's a Souvenir of Canada 3, we'll be looking at these PC appliances the same way we now look at this stuff.