The U.S. empties its closet

Journal Record, The (Oklahoma City), Jul 26, 2002

WASHINGTON (NYT) -- Are you looking to buy a limousine? A Gucci watch? How about a decommissioned Coast Guard cutter? The federal government wants to use the Internet to unload its vast stores of seized and surplus property. FirstGov, which runs the federal Web portal at www.firstgov.gov, recently created a page where shoppers can link to every auction of vehicles, aircraft and real estate listed by government agencies as well as souvenirs, savings bonds and surplus equipment (www.firstgov.gov/shopping/shopping).

In the past, the FirstGov site was primarily linked to auctions of houses and cars. By listing all sales and auctions from a single starting point, federal officials hope to dispose of property more quickly. The page also has links to sites where consumers can adopt wild horses and shop for souvenirs. They can buy Christmas ornaments from the White House and a desk sign proclaiming that "The Buck Stops Here" from the Truman Presidential Museum and Library.

In 2001, the government netted $17.6 million through sales on the Internet. The most memorable auction, perhaps, was that of the Coast Guard cutter involved in rescues during the events recounted in "The Perfect Storm." The vessel sold for $60,000.

Getting hip with Joe Boxer

NEW YORK (NYT) -- Kmart, the discount retailer known for blue- light specials, Martha Stewart's Egyptian cotton sheets and most recently its own financial difficulties, is trying to attract a hipper customer with a new advertising campaign reintroducing the Joe Boxer clothing line.

On Thursday, the company literally launched the campaign by shooting two men, dressed in Joe Boxer clothing and underwear, from a cannon in the parking lot of one its anchor stores in Detroit. And on Sunday, Kmart will begin broadcasting four television commercials -- featuring college-age men and women frolicking and dancing in Joe Boxer clothing -- as it continues its efforts to revive the struggling Joe Boxer brand it now exclusively distributes.

"We definitely needed to get out there with the message of what you'd expect from Joe Boxer is still there, and now it's at Kmart," said Steven Feuling, the senior vice president of marketing at Kmart. "We're taking the brand to a new level in terms of the depth and breadth of the line." Kmart declined to reveal how much it was spending on the campaign.

Burt Flickinger III, a managing director at Reach Marketing, a consulting firm that monitors retail stores, said Kmart's new ads reminded him of campaigns by retailers like Abercrombie & Fitch, the Gap and Ralph Lauren that use beautiful young models in trendy environments. "It's the right strategy at the right time," Flickinger said.

What keeps traditions alive?

AUSTIN (Cox) -- In a decade in which blue margarine and purple ketchup have found an audience, there is nevertheless some quality that has kept certain culinary classics in vogue, brought back to the table for encore after encore. Among the successful seniors celebrating anniversaries this year are Oreos, which turn 90, and Kool-Aid, which is 75. Karo Syrup hits 100 years. So do Barnum Animal Crackers. Krispy Kreme turns 65. Weber is 50. Their names are so familiar you probably have both childhood and adult experiences to reflect on.

What keeps these traditions alive in an age of trendiness? The easy answer is that they are all instant gratification. They taste good, appealing to many ages and cultures. They are affordable, but high quality. They have widespread availability. They speak to the child in us, but also to the adult, who in turn passes the torch (or the cookie, perhaps) to their children.

While it's true that some of the products have changed significantly to reflect the times -- Weber now offers a mega gas grill system, Oreos have mint and peanut butter flavored fillings, Kool-Aid serves up a no-sugar-added version -- the companies have not ditched the old originals in favor of the new. And therein lies the nostalgia factor, the passing of favorite old tastes from one generation to another.

"In linear terms, a long-running brand like Oreos may have been eaten by as many as six generations in a single family -- say from our own great-grandmothers to our own grandchildren," says Art Siemering, editor in chief of The Food Channel Trendwire. "And a very important point, in my opinion, at least, is that favorite food items have the power to link -- rather than drive apart -- the generations in contrast to what clothing and music styles might do."

Roaring into its second century

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- Harley-Davidson is in an enviable position for a U.S. company -- it has a brand and reputation known throughout the world, and orders for its motorcycles well into 2004. And its stock price is holding up even as the overall market plunges. The company has just started a year-long celebration of its 100th birthday.

Harley-Davidson started in 1903 when 21-year-old William Harley and 20-year-old Arthur Davidson built their first motorcycle in a small wooden shed. It survived the Depression, two world wars and the 1980s, when Harley faced quality problems, debt and slow sales. It has grown into a company that earned $437.7 million in 2001, continuing a 25 percent average annual earnings growth in the past five years.