“north shore

Retailin’, ritin’ and ’ rif

“MANY students view
the beginning of

- school as,a bad thing,
but the retailers are a.
‘whole. lot smarter than
“that, and with some .
pretty nifty. advertis-
ing, will soon have the
kids, and their par- .

vents, foaming at the
: mouth i in anticipation.”

Retailers know, a good
thing when they see it and”
as dull little. Johnny and, :
sleepy little Suzy: do'a lazy”
summer. walk- through with |
mom and dad, promises of.
better things to come bring

“new energy, to their lives,

‘As sure‘as children. need |,
two months off to:harvest °
the' crops in'the summer, |
they need to.come back to.

hool with, the right

‘And j just as mom and dad.

thought: their darlings were”

“turning 'into incohérent. veg-

Petables; Johnny and Suzy:
suddenly t transform.into
negotiators that w ould put
the entire: Kosovo diplomat
ic corps to shame.” :

Star Wars binder: with’ Darth |
Moll pencil crayons; ‘T know
I'l do better in ‘science,
especially:i in astronomy.”
“Dad,” Suzy will pipe up.
“Eve yone. ‘wears these short.’
skirts and‘tube tops. You
don? (3 Avant: me £0 feel isolat

Vertically-challenged.
Johnny has, mom pinned -
Jagainst the ropes. “This
year, coach says Pil havea,
really: goad shot, at first
string on the basketball:
“team if 1 can dunk the ball.
“Look at these Sky High air-
“controlled, ‘genetically.
altered | running shoes,
Mom. These will do it-for™
‘me, 'T just know it!) Mom”
“looks at the price tag and’.
recognizes where the. brand. :
: hame, Sky High, comes :
-fromlns'': 7

“Whoa!” Susy adds.

with buile in make-up mirror
and cell phone recharger. °
:This' would make it’so much
easier for me'to get to class
“on time because 1 wouldn't:
chave to stand in line in the ,
vashroomy berween periods,
nd‘check my make-up. -

“Dad, this could make a hitge
difference to. my grades.“

“You know,” Johnny...
‘ponders, “the English
teacher told me that if 1 had.
a computer with spell check
I'd probably increase my

; grades by 20%: He ‘sugies
eds] ‘get one with lots-of
“RAM and a video, accelera-' i
‘tor because the ‘new Ba...
re ference libraries,

tenet

te Eceenimarcas TanpeauaGenth

“Look at these locker mates :

mews

tic

require a loro processing.”
power; 4
“Dad?> Suzy enquires,

~“Have you seen the new
pens that have invisible’ ink
bur when you’pat the writ-
ing under a special light or
“these new watches you au

read it? Don’t you think that

would be a good idea to"
keep those cement heads
around me from. copying my:
‘work? Competition for. uni-..
‘versities is pretty intense. 1.
don’t want to lose a step!” |
The kid at the checkout,

20% employee discount at
this time of year, can’t con--
tain his excitément as

_ Johnny and Suzy Joad. their
back-to-school necessities on
his counter. “Cool.man, |.
really cool,*: he exclaims as~:
he passes cach item over the
"coding device.’

~ .Momm and dad fade into
semi-consciousness as. they’
watch the figures ring up on
the till, consoled only by the
‘thought that this year, with’.
the.“right stuff” their chil-
‘dren will begin the j journey:

- toa Rhodes Scholarship, ora
"free ‘ride.ar Harvard. . ;
‘Retailers must: have ‘done’
really well at school.:They:
seem pretty darn‘smart to
‘me and. can certainly find
opportunity ‘in the bleakest

© Prospects. ©

To turn kids who dread

school i into consummate‘
shoppers preparing for:
school, is no small feat.

: Graham: Hookey is the
‘author.of Parenting Is A
Team Sport. > ;
Ghooteyeyabeeom).

wo

~ watking on air because of his.