Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 23, 1994                   TAG: 9402230067
SECTION: BUSINESS                    PAGE: B-8   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Sandra Brown Kelly
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FORGET THE SOFT STUFF; LEGGETT'S OUTLET OPENS TODAY

For the merchant, it's a way to help sales clerks learn the store's computers and merchandise before the crowds come.

On Monday, an LOC - Leggett Outlet Center - store had its soft opening in the former Brendle's quarters at Valley View Mall; today is the store's official debut.

A crowd showed Monday, however, because there had been some advertising about the store and it was Presidents' Day, so many workers were off duty.

The holiday probably accounted for the surprising number of men hauling bags of goods out the door. Usually women find a store on a weekday and the men follow for night and weekend shopping, said Bob Tysinger, general manager of Leggett outlet stores.

Tysinger is in town from Leggett's South Boston headquarters to help another outlet veteran, store manager Bentley Duncan, get the store up and running.

Duncan, a Christiansburg native, has helped Tysinger open three Leggett outlets in the two years the company has used the new format.

So what is an LOC?

In looks, it's a little bit of Goody's and a sprinkle of TJ Maxx and Waccamaw. Departments include men's, women's and children's clothing, a shoe section and home furnishings.

The mix of merchandise comes from three sources: sale items from Leggett department stores, special purchases of irregular merchandise (for example, Jockey for Her underwear at $2.97 a pair) and special purchases of first-quality merchandise (usually items being discontinued or out of season).

The mix is about 60 percent bought new for LOC and about 40 percent imports from other Leggett stores.

The LOC stores use a color-dot method of marking the size of price discounts, similar to that of other outlet stores. And, like any outlet, the LOC takes a little longer to shop than the more traditional stores, because same sizes are found in many places and the name-brand merchandise is tucked in with the lesser-known pieces.

Joe Who?

Not many companies spend money to prove their advertising isn't effective, but that's just what R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. has done.

The company hired Roper Starch Worldwide's polling division to sample 1,117 young people, aged 10 to 17, about its advertising.

RJR hoped it would prove that its Joe Camel image for Camel cigarettes was not encouraging young people to light up.

The survey first asked participants to name, unaided, the last product they saw advertised. Only 2 percent named cigarettes, said Roper Starch.

Here were the findings:

73 percent recognized Joe, but 94 percent to 99 percent recognized the Energizer Bunny, Little Caesar, Ronald McDonald, the Keebler Elves, Jolly Green Giant and Kellogg's Tony the Tiger.

81 percent of those who recognized Joe Camel knew he promoted cigarettes, but only 3 percent - all 16 and 17 years old - said they had a positive attitude toward smoking.

Marlboro, made by Philip Morris USA, was a more recognizable brand than Camel among teens who were aware of cigarette advertising.

Surveyors said the study reinforced previous studies showing that, while young people may recognize Joe Camel and other cigarette advertising, it does not change their negative feelings about smoking.

Meanwhile, the Federal Trade Commission hasn't acted on a staff recommendation that a complaint be issued against RJR for its Joe Camel campaign. Camel has become the brand of choice for 32.8 percent of smokers under 18, other studies show.

A postscript:

Fifty-two percent of the teens could recall the ad slogan for Nike and only 3 percent remembered the ones for Diet Pepsi and Miller Lite beer.