Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
Look out! Look out for that kidon . . . roller skates? Despite the fact thatin-line skates appeared to all but run over their popularity not solong ago, roller skates are back in vogue. They're pulling aTravolta, if you will.
"I think 1998 is going to be a very strong year forconventional skating," says Jim Ball, 44, president and ownerof the South Gate, California, roller-skate manufacturerSure-Grip International. "It's kind of becoming acool thing to do."
Ball has plenty of reasons to be optimistic: Sales ofconventional skates at Sure-Grip were up 20 percent last year andare expected to increase 25 percent this year. What's more,attendance at roller rinks throughout the country is reportedly up.Throw in a disco ball and a few Donna Summer tunes, and it'sthe 1970s all over again.
But Ball, who recently supplied skates for a fashion show, saysretro appeal isn't the only force propelling roller-skatesales. There's a comfort level and a safety level that in-lineskates can't match. Surmises Ball, "Conventional skatingis something kids from 1 to 92 can do." And, hey--it'sfun.
Father's Day
A portrait of the changing American family.
Make room for daddies--of the single variety, that is. Althoughsingle mothers are still much more the norm--and likely to remainso--that doesn't mean all is status quo under American roofs.Rather, in a move that's bound to spark interest in a revivalof television's "Courtship of Eddie's Father"(please!) or even the more recent "My Two Dads" (please,no!), single fathers are becoming more prevalent. Dare we suggestthese father figures add up to a trend of some import?
We dare. As calculated by the U.S. Census Bureau, familiesheaded by single fathers have mushroomed from 1 percent to 5percent since 1970. Again, the numbers may not speakvolumes--single, child-rearing daddies are still not quite 2million strong--but their rate of growth is more than enough towarrant attention from market-savvy businesses.
And, oh yes, there's a certain cache to be considered.Either as a result of the changing demographic makeup of theAmerican family--or, ahem, the lack of originality inHollywood--there's no shortage of single dads in TV land. From"The Gregory Hines Show" to "The Tom Show" to"The Nanny," there's an abundance of solo fathers whoknowingly (or otherwise) do their best. Our best advice? Don'ttune out this market.
The Grecian Formula
It's no myth: Greek food is hot, hot, hot.
Perhaps the Greek shall inherit the Earth--or at least itsculinary spotlight. A surprising number of folks are opting forGreek cuisine on nights when a burger and fries just won'tdo.
"Years ago, people were afraid to go to a Greekrestaurant--they didn't know what it was like," says TimVlahopoulos, general manager of the New York City Greek restaurantPeriyali. "Now, [Greek restaurants] have proven they're upto the scale of French or Italian restaurants."
Will small-town USA embrace the food with the same gusto as bigcities like New York? Vlahopoulos is confident of the food'sappeal. "Eventually," he says, "it will spread allover."
Pass the ouzo.
Contact Source
Sure-Grip International, 5519 Rawlings St., South Gate,CA 90280, (562) 923-0724
