GIVE & TAKE: RETAILERS HAND OUT GIFTS, PRIZES TO HELP LURE CUSTOMERS

Drive-throughs are going to the dogs.

And that's making some dogs and their owners happy customers at a number of Rhodes 101 Stops in the Cape Girardeau area.

Any dog accompanying a customer at a drive-up window at a Rhodes operation receives a dog biscuit.

The idea was that of an employee, Melissa Estes, at the 1610 N. Kingshighway Rhodes service station/convenience store.

"We were having a lot of motorists come through with their dogs," said Estes. "One morning we decided to give the dogs a treat."

That was three years ago.

The idea caught on fast.

Most of the Rhodes Stops in the area with drive-up windows now have a box of dog biscuits near by.

"It's a fun thing," say Estes and Mike Brown, manager of the operation at 1610 N. Kingshighway. "We've developed some friendships, and you can just see the anxiety of the dogs as they await their treat."

The program is also designed for cats, too.

"But we haven't had any cats yet," said Brown.

An employee at the Rhodes store at 2109 William says some of the dogs know when their owners approach the drive-up window. "You can hear the dogs barking before the car stops."

The idea didn't come along to attract new customers to the store.

"It was just an idea," said Estes. "We tried it, and everybody seems to like it."

Meanwhile, in another part of the country, a company gives out "wooden nickels" in a special promotion.

The wooden nickels, presented to customers by a windshield repair and replacement service in Biloxi, Miss., is good for $5 cash to anyone referring a new customer to the company.

About 25 to 30 percent of the nickels were redeemed during the first year they were used. Owners of the company agree that this may not be a great return, but it gets the company name out.

Wooden nickels have been around since 1933 when they were issued in Blaine, Wash., when a bank closed and merchants used them for change until they could get to a bank more than two hours away. That same year, wooden nickels started making appearance as souvenirs at various celebrations.

Whether it's dog biscuits, wooden nickels, coupons, Pokemon toys, newsletters or prizes, business owners are passing out gifts to their customers as a reminder and a reason to come back. Marketers everywhere, big and small, are using promo-arsenals to reward customers.

And one of the biggest eye-catchers in the business is:

"Free!"

Or "Win!!" Or "Prizes!!"

Also: "Buy one, get one free" or "50 percent off."

The newsletter is another subtle reminder in the world of marketing.

For small business owners, the short, one-page notes can be reminders of specials coming up and a coupon. The returned coupons will give an indication of just how valuable the newsletter can be.

"Freebies," registration for free gifts and big discounts are big tools of the retail trade, and are used during holiday sales, special promotions and/or grand openings.

Evidence of the value of freebies was demonstrated at a number of retail operations during the past holidays.

Hundreds of early-bird shoppers waited in line outside the Toys R Us store in Cape Girardeau before dawn the day after Thanksgiving last year, awaiting the 6 a.m. opening to kick off the holiday shopping season. A free Pokemon playmat and a game coin were passed out to the first 500 customers.

Another few hundred people were waiting for the Target Store to open at the same time. The first 1,000 people entering Target received special gifts. Other long lines were present at K's Merchandise and ShopKo, awaiting free gifts.

It doesn't have to be a holiday promotion. In bids to get shoppers to buy rather than browse, merchants offer bargain prices on certain items throughout the year.

In last week's Southeast Missourian, one retailers offered a Saturday-only clearance special, with up to 77 percent off of certain items; others offered Easter specials of 40 to 50 percent off; and yet another advertised a free gift with the purchase of a special product.