Thursday, December 02, 1999
Consumers picky about 2000 mementos
Do you really want a millennium chip-and-dip set?
BY CLIFF PEALE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sandy Cappel shows off millennium products at her Cheviot store.
(Saed Hindash photo)
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If there's a product to be sold between now and New Year's Eve, expect to see a Year 2000 logo on it.
The once-in-a-lifetime holiday has so far fallen short of once-in-a-lifetime sales for retailers, but that hasn't stopped them from marketing everything they have with the millennium theme.
From Cheerios and Barbie dolls to party goods and a $300 sterling silver noise-maker at Tiffany & Co., those responsible for filling your stomachs, cabinets and closets next year are determined to take advantage of any possible marketing opportunity in the last month of the century.
“It's only an opportunity if you can distinguish yourself and create a unique selling opportunity,” said Diane Iseman, operator of Diane Iseman and Associates marketing company, downtown.
Virtually everybody has tried. Mattel Inc. has two special Barbies, a $40 Millennium Princess and a $299 Millennium Bride. General Mills Inc. is selling Millenios (“the official cereal of the millennium”), and Victoria's Secret will try to persuade someone to pay $10 million for a Millennium Bra studded with diamonds.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., the nation's largest retailer, is hawking products including “Born in the Year 2000” baby T-shirts, Class of 2000 stadium seat cushions, millennium fishing hats and even a millennium chip-and-dip set.
Locally, Gibson Greetings Inc. of Amberley Village has several new lines of cards and party goods. Cappel's, the costume and decorations chain, started displaying millennium-themed products in August.
The chain will market the millennium theme through next year, co-owner Ray Cappel said.
“Anybody who has an event they hold yearly, it's going to be a bigger deal next year,” he said.
Susanne Halmi, store director at Tiffany & Co. downtown, said the store is selling New Year's Eve products, including the $300 noise-maker, a $225 sterling silver party hat and a $350 horn.
“What will be a big deal for Tiffany is just the idea of giving a significant gift for the millennium, not necessarily a millennium product,” she said.
Several shoppers searching for holiday gifts in local malls said they would buy items marking the millennium. But most followed Ms. Halmi's example and said they would buy a special gift to give on New Year's Eve.
“I'm looking for something a little different that when midnight strikes, I can pull it out and give it to her,” said Tony Perkins of Latonia while searching for jewelry for his wife at the Florence Mall.
Mil-looney-um hype
Leslie Villing, manager of the Museum Company store in the Kenwood Towne Centre, said the company is selling several exclusive lines of “1999 plus one” T-shirts, candles and leather-bound journals.
“We think it's going to sell,” she said. “People want souvenirs. ... More of them seem interested in keepsakes this year.”
James Lowry, a marketing professor at Ball State University, said the average consumer will spend $168 more this year on New Year's Eve celebrations than in other years.
But most retailers and analysts said the hype has overtaken actual millennium sales. Even though retail ers all covet those extra consumer dollars and are pitching products with a year 2000 theme, most are not building this year's sales on those products.
“I wouldn't say that's been something we've focused on, because it's part of the product line,” said Julia Jensen, a spokeswoman for the Barbie. “But marketing to the millennium theme makes a lot of sense.”
Those marketing campaigns often will go to great lengths to find a millennium theme. The local Subway restaurants have unveiled an advertising campaign that includes Looney Tunes characters and features the line “partying for the mil-looney-um.”
The past sells
Mike Krienik, president of the downtown Krienik Advertising agency that developed the campaign, said it was an attempt to integrate a long-term strategy with the opportunity offered by the year 2000.
“One of our objectives for Subway is to help increase their party and catering sales,” he said. “We tried to take an objective that wasn't just for 30 or 60 days, then see how we could tie that into the millennium.”
Stan Eichelbaum, president of the Cincinnati retail consultant Marketing Developments Inc., said there has been limited interest from customers in millennium products. One exception is retrospective items like books, he said.
“To date, the millennium has been anti-climactic,” Mr. Eichelbaum said. “You almost expect to see Star Trek: The Next Millennium. But in fact, there seems to be a stronger emphasis on remembrance than on looking forward.”
Another hot area is in party goods. Most retailers expect anything from champagne to bottle bags to sell briskly as New Year's Eve approaches.
“I think the party opportunity is huge,” said George White, general manager of the Bullseye Productions unit that overseas all product development at Gibson Greetings.
Mr. Krienik said millennium party products will be popular, but the sales trend might not last.
“I think the consumer will say, "Is this something I really need? Is it something I can't live without?'”
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