Article, KC Star:"Grocers doing their part not to ring up sales from panic buyers"

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Y2K WATCH:
Grocers doing their part not to ring up sales from panic buyers

By DAVID HAYES and FINN BULLERS - Columnist
Date: 12/10/99 22:15

http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/ business.pat,business/3774124b.c10,.html

[Fair Use: For Educational/Research Purposes Only]

Grocers in Kansas City are wary of what to say when it comes to preparing for Y2K.

Ignore it, and customers may forget about Y2K until the last minute, risking panic and shortages. Embrace it, and a store runs the risk of fanning the flames of Y2K panic now.

With weeks to go before Jan. 1, 2000, grocers in Kansas City and those who sell bottled water all say they have seen no evidence of widespread stockpiling to prepare for Y2K. In fact, some experts worry about public apathy.

Nonetheless, many retailers across the country have decided not to use potential computer problems as a way to push sales of batteries, canned goods, water and diapers.

"The majority of retailers out there are acting responsibly and you're not seeing a lot of promotions that are geared toward Y2K stock-ups," said Lisa McCue, a spokeswoman for the Grocery Manufacturers of America in Washington, D.C.

"Most companies are saying they don't want to unnecessarily scare consumers or take advantage of fear just to sell some extra toilet paper," she said.

So don't expect to find Y2K sales on canned goods at Hen House or Price Chopper stores, said Mike Beal, chief financial officer for Ball Foods, which operates 27 stores in Kansas City.

"We are not going to promote Y2K sales and throw any fuel on the fire of the Y2K scare," Beal said. Extra supplies from Ball's wholesaler in Kansas City are only a day away in case of last-minute buying, he said.

Same story at Hy-Vee Food Stores.

"We'll have extra supplies of batteries, water and canned goods," said Randy Ohm, operations manager at the firm's Shawnee store on West 63rd Street. "But we don't plan to advertise them as Y2K supplies."

But at least two firms have taken a different approach, saying they are simply promoting the recommendations of the American Red Cross and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The 22 IGA food stores in the Kansas City area conclude a Y2K sale that ends today on everything from Rodeo Buckboard Ham to Strongheart dog food.

By gearing the campaign to the first week in December, the potential for last-minute panic purchases is diminished, said Dave Chapman, president of Hometown Grocers, the firm that marketed the sale.

"People need to be thinking about Y2K so they will not be unprepared," Chapman said.

His projects manager, Sandy Malish, remembers the punishing ice storm 15 years ago that left some Kansas City residents without staples for as long as five days. She doesn't want Y2K to do the same thing.

In Missouri, Schnucks Markets Inc. are advising grocery customers that if they plan to stock up for Y2K, follow the Red Cross guidelines and do it early to avoid long holiday lines at the end of the month.

Taking it a step further are the 33 7-Eleven convenience stores in Kansas City. They will unfurl bright red "Y2K Ready-4U!" banners the day after Christmas.

7-Eleven expects to sell 40 percent more batteries this December, see a 20 percent increase in the sale of first-aid kits and sell as much water in December as they normally do in July.

The convenience-store chain has increased its gasoline storage supplies and has leased additional delivery trucks at strategic locations across the country.

This Y2K week

Monday: A Colorado official said the Public Service Co. of Colorado may not be ready for Y2K because the company didn't spend enough money on upgrades. Will James, a member of the governor's Year 2000 task force, said not all of the company's power plants are capable of running on "future time," when internal clocks are set to run past the Year 2000. The Public Service Co. disputed his account, saying the plants are 99.9 percent ready.

Tuesday: Companies that make computer anti-virus software warned about a new kind of virus spread through Microsoft software used for Internet chat rooms. The W95.Babylonia virus comes disguised as a Y2K fix, making it the sixth known virus tied to the Year 2000 problem. When an infected user logs on to a chat room using MIRC chat software, the virus gets sent as a Y2K bug fix to anyone else in that chat room. If the user accepts the software, the virus will install itself and later obtain several files from Japan. Those files, in turn, affect the user's computer.

Wednesday: Russia's nuclear arsenal is free of Y2K problems, said Vladimir Yakovlev, colonel general of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces. In addition, the U.S. and Russia will have a live videoconference link in case any problems occur at Russian nuclear power plants.

On a less serious note, Beer.com, an Internet site devoted to the "beer lifestyle," said its survey of 1,377 beer drinkers last fall found that, in case of a power outage, 42.8 percent will keep their beer cold by leaving it outside. However, according to the survey, 30.6 percent don't care if their beer stays cold.

Thursday: U.S. factories will be hurt by Year 2000 disruptions overseas, the National Association of Manufacturers said. Factories here won't be able to import raw material and parts they need, which will lead to a slowdown in economic growth and a widening of the trade deficit, said Jerry Jasinowski, president of the industry group. He also expects demand to drop overseas for U.S. exports.

From its bunker in Cheyenne Mountain, Colo., the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) announced it believes Santa Claus is Y2K compliant. After all, according to the http://www.noradsanta.org Web site, the Christmas crusader made it through Y1K unscathed. "Millennium rollover? Been there, done that," the Kringle man says on the NORAD site, while sporting an "I survived Y1K" T-Shirt.

Friday: The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) said it is ready for Y2K. Year 2000 problems will not affect peacekeeping in the Balkans, Nato officials said.

Y2K Watch appears on Saturdays. To reach David Hayes, call (816) 234- 4904 or send e-mail to dhayes@kcstar.com. To reach Finn Bullers, call (816) 234-7705 or send e-mail to fbullers@kcstar.com



-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), December 11, 1999.


Nice how the press presents "not preparing" as the sane thing to do, isn't it?

What press guide for interviews and information gathering did this one come from?

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Marietta, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), December 12, 1999.


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