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Show BUSINESS REPORTER: STEPHEN CHAPEK ci THE DAILY HERALD (www.HarkTheHerald.com) 344-25- SUNOAVrMAY 48, 200J- - Common Census: Retailers pursue Hispanic consumer "lv '". By ANNE D'INNOCENZiO JM" HWiniiMii.wniwiiiniia.iirn n 1. jMMiirinilrllrVf f IT TWiiniiw iwliim. I l) - NEW YORK Hallmark Cards is marketing 2,500 greeting cards for Hispanics, close to double the number of a year ago, while Blockbuster Inc. has posted bilingual signs and stocked video rentals in Spanish in nearly a quarter of its stores. Kmart has a fashion line named for the Mexican pop star Thalia, a bid to woo young consumers.. And Sears, Roebuck and Co. plans to unveil Lucy Pere-da line of dressy women's clothing bearing the name of the Cuban-bor- n TV lifestyle personality. With overall retail sales languishing, storeowners are hoping to give their business a boost by pursug seging the ment of the U.S. population, Hispanics. Many merchants have sought out the Hispanic customer for years. But the overall industry found after the release of the 2000 census that it had underestimated the size of the Hispanic population, which had surged by 58 percent to 35.3 million during the 1990s. The nation's Hispanics represented an opportunity for retail sales growth. "The census (2000) was very key," said Deidre Parkes, a company spokeswoman at Hallmark. "We knew we needed to increase our efforts." But which strategies will work with Hispanics remains to be seen. David Wolfe, creative director at The Doneger Group, a buying office in New York, believes much of limxeaJiard4ime-Buy-- - t " , first-generati- Major retailers including For , example, J.C. Penney Co. Inc. is the dominant retailer for an apparel line, aimed called . this spring's fashion trends including the explosion of bright colors and lots of ruffles is already the result of the Latino influence on American mainstream. "It is colorful and flamboyant and sexy ... exactly the opposite of the minimalist fashion that killed fashion in the 1990s," Wolfe said. In a testament to Latino power, the fashion line JLo by Jennifer Lopez, named after the entertainer, is among the standouts in teen departments of major stores. "This was never geared toward Hispanics, but the fact that J.Lo is of Hispanic descent has helped," said Denise Seegal, CEO and president of Sweetface Fashion Co., which produces the line. Some experts in Hispanic marketing are still wary of retailers' efforts, saying they need to pay attention to the differences within the Hispanic population, including their nations of origin and the parts of the United States where they live. "Some of them (retailers) A n Army general went to lunch one day and ordered a broiled lobster. When the lobster was served minus a claw, the general summoned the waiter to complain. The waiter responded: "General, let me explain. This is a broiled lobster just like you ordered, but what you Jj graduation 20 years earlier to operate on you? Some years ago, I attended a tennis camp in Arizona. One morning I was assigned to play a doubles match. When I got to the court, the other three players were there, and one fellow was visibly upset. It seems he didn't want to be paired with one of the guys who happened to be 90 years old. We spun the racket to determine partners and I wound tip with the i We 6-- 1, 6-- beat our opponents 1 in the first two sets. As we were switching sides to play a third set, he said to me: "Do you mind if I play the backhand court? I always like ' to work on my weakness- es." What a fantastic example of a person who: has never stopped learn-in- g. Incidentally, we also hammered them 6-- 1 in .' get it, and some don't," said Aida Levitan, president of the Association of Hispanic Advertising Agencies, which works with "U.S. companies to help promote products to Hispanics. Cathy Areu Jones, a Vienna, Va., resident and publisher of Catalina, a lifestyle magazine geared to Hispanic women, believes "companies are just throwing spaghetti to the wall. They think that one size fits all." Jones said the new fashions need to address Hispan Harvey Mackay the third set. Believe in yourself, even when no one else does. Don't ever let anyone tell you that you can't accomplish your goals. Who says you're not tougher, better, harder working and more able than your competition? It doesn't matter if they say you can't do it. The only , sill U4 f I he Associated Press most perfect part and throw the rest away. My father admired Bernie's "richness" because he knew how to stop work in the middle of a summer day, sit down with friends and spend time eating the heart of the watermelon. Being rich isn't about money. Being rich is a state of mind. Some of us, no matter how much money we have, will never be free enough to take the time to stop and eat the heart of the watermelon. And some of us will be rich without ever being more than a paycheck ahead of the game. you say it. If you believe in yourself, there's hardly anything you can't accomplish. Find a way to make a difference. Robert Redford has been a great example of this for me. Unlike so many successful people, Redford remembers where he came from. Instead of asking, "What's in it for me?" He asks, "What can I give back?" His commitment to his industry led to the creation of the Sundance Institute, on whose board I've been fortunate enough to serve since 1990. Sundance is a haven in the mountains of Utah where Redford has given his time, talent, money and land to create opportunities for, young people ,.' to become filmmakers. People come Troin all over. the world, to collaborate '.' with the best writers, directors and producers the American film industry has to bfferl believe the most lasting1 legacy any human .being can leave $ to give someone , 7- f 15 ' Mentioned When Ad Is Placed FREE LUNCH t Harvey Mackay is author of the New York Times best seller 'Pushing the Envelope' (Ballantine Books. He can be reached through his Web site: j. ivww.mackay.com; or Mackay Envelope Corp., 2100 Elm St., Minneapolisi.MN 55414. For ; . Be You Could Win a destination. . Pete Wei, vice president of field marketing and customer segments at the video rental company, said that at its San Antonio stores, for example, Hispanic consumers preferred communicating in English, so consequently there are fewer videos and signs in Spanish. "They behave like Americans and Texans," Wei said. But in its Southern California stores, Blockbuster is bringing in more films in Spanish from Mexico. Every Wednesday, The Daily Herald will draw one business office from those who placed a help wanted ad that week. Mackay's Moral: Suc- is a journey, not a . sultry-lookin- Blockbuster has studied its Hispanic customers in different parts of the country and tailored its stores to meet their tastes. OFF Now Through July 6 Offer Must cess . shapes, and the designs and advertising shouldn't perpetuate the stereotype of a g Latina. "I have a hard time finding, clothes for myself" said Jones, who said she has to have her clothes tailored at the waist, but needs clothes that are more forgiving at the hips. All she sees in the stores, she said, is "the American cut." And she doesn't wear the latest trends in fashion, like the ruffles and bright colors, because she believes spokeswoman: Place a Help Wanted ad in The Daily Herald and Receive the reddest, juiciest, thing that matters is if ic consumers' different body . men which Havanera, offers relaxed clothing featuring drawstring pants and embroidered detail; produced by Perry Ellis. The product reflects research that shows that segment is keen on rich details in their apparel, said Christi Byrd Smith, a Penney Your Town. Your Neighbors. Your Newspaper. 10-1- 2 People In Your Office. Lunch will be delivered Wednesday at Noon! v . J. '.5 , FtEMES at Hispanic mil else a boost on the way up. What do you possess that you can offer to other people, to your community, to the world? Eat the heart of the watermelon. When I was a kid my father knew a guy named Bernie who had started out his career with a fruit and vegetable stand, worked hard all his life and eventually became wealthy as a fruit and vegetable wholesaler. Every summer when the first watermelons came in, my dad would take me down to Bernie's warehouse, and we'd have a feast. Bernie would choose a couple of watermelons just in from the fields, crack them open and hand each of us a big piece. Then we'd eat only the heart of the watermelon POSITIVE STRUGGLES . 4 MIKE Shopper Miguel Soils checks out J.C. Penney's new Havanera line of clothes in Frisco, Texas. Penney's has launched a new line of clothes specifically targeting Hispanics, which offers relaxed clothing that is tailored to the Hispanic fit. Success often a state of mind no successful person matter if you're graduating from college or using your education in the real world. Never stop learning. You have to keep learning all your life or you're not going to be able to compete. Would you want a surgeon who hadn't learned anything new about medicine since his n. Kmart said they are working hard to get the fit right. fastest-growin- must understand is that the lobsters are kept in a holding tank live. They often fight and sometimes lose a claw." To this the general thundered back, "Then bring me a winner!" Here are four points that are keys to becoming a real winner and a truly - ing jeans," she said. She added that she also gets turned off by what she believes is marketers' focus Hison Spanish-speakin- g panics. She feels companies should also pay closer attention to someone like a her, Chilean-America- a, . they perpetuate panic stereotype. Cindy Pino, 28, from New York, agrees, noting that retailers should notice that "we are different physically." AP Business Writer . ' ; . free lunch contest ; will run org weeks 'V i |