Path: bloom-picayune.mit.edu!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!news.media.mit.edu!americast.com!americast.com!usa-post Newsgroups: usa-today.trends,americast.usa-today.trends From: usa-post@AmeriCast.Com Organization: American Cybercasting Approved: usa-post@AmeriCast.com Subject: trends Tue, Sep 22 1992 Date: Tue, 22 Sep 92 04:55:02 EDT Message-ID: 09-22 0000 DECISIONLINE: Trends & Marketing USA TODAY Update Sept. 22, 1992 Source: USA TODAY:Gannett National Information Network BLACKS ARE MOVING AHEAD: African Americans are moving into the ranks of the USA's top financial executives. Black Enterprise magazine profiles 25 of them in its October issue, on newsstands Tuesday. All earn between $300,000 and $1 million a year. "We originally thought that finding them would be very difficult," says Sheryl Hilliard Tucker, executive editor. "But ... names kept coming up." SOME DON'T SEE DISCRIMINATION: One thing black financial executives have in common: Superb educations. Eighteen have MBAs, six have law degrees, three have both. Harvard and top schools are well-represented. Several of the black financiers told USA TODAY they have not encountered prejudice in their careers. "I may have just not seen it, but I don't believe I have," says Garland Wood, partner at Goldman Sachs. CHRISTIAN RETAILERS MAKE PITCH: Every fall, people report their first sightings of Christmas decorations. It's disgusting, say so many Christians who feel the birthday of their savior has become a circus of greed. Well, the cold truth is that secular corporations are not alone when it comes to cashing in on Jesus' birthday. (For more, see special Christmas package below.) LAW FIRMS ARE DOWNSIZING: Half the USA's 250 largest law firms cut staff last year and held salaries for first-year associates at 1989 levels, says a survey by The National Law Journal. But don't shed any tears: First-year salaries still can hit $86,000. The Journal says of the firms surveyed, 64% cut the number of associates - lawyers who haven't become partners yet - between 1991 and this year. TOYMAKERS SEE GOOD TIMES AHEAD: Make room under the tree - a new forecast brings good news for holiday retailers. Duracell, in its fifth year of toy trend watching, predicts a jump in toy buying this year. "A 10% increase in toy sales is realistic," says Bill Pearse, of Playthings magazine, who participated in the forecast. The outlook for non-toy retailers is dimmer - analysts predict a low single-digit increase. BIRTHDAYS CAN BE A KILLER: Birthdays may not be something to look forward to for some women. A study of California death certificates shows women are slightly more likely to die of natural causes in the week after their birthdays than any other week of the year. Men are more likely to die in the weeks before a birthday. Researchers say that's probably because men are more likely to dread birthdays. MIXED ALCOHOL INTAKE: Men and women have different drinking patterns. Research shows men consume 84% of beer; women drink about 16%. The sexes are almost evenly divided on wine drinking: Men drink 49% to women's 51%. Wine coolers are gulped by more women. They drink nearly 60% of all coolers to men's 40%. RECYCLING GETS A BOOST: Twenty-five U.S. companies are banding together to encourage recycling in the USA. They've formed the Buy Recycled Business Alliance. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency shows nearly 30% of paper is recycled. That's followed by 23% of metals; 20% of glass and 2% of plastics. CHINA GETS COFFEE AND DONUTS: China will soon get a taste of American convenience. 7-Eleven is coming to China. Five of the 24-hour convenience stores will open outside Hong Kong next month. More 7-Elevens are planned in the city within the year. SPECIAL PACKAGE ON CHRISTMAS: RETAILERS READY FOR RUSH: Many Christian retailers have already started getting ready for the Christmas rush. In fact, the July issue of Christian Retailing magazine was devoted to yuletide planning for its 7,000 readers. Christian store owners were advised to start planning in the midst of summer for the holiday rush. They were told that their faith gives them a special advantage in making that cash register sing. ADS TOUT JESUS PRODUCTS: "Every retailer observes Christmas," Christian Retailing reports. "But we are the only market that really knows the reason for the season." One ad touted Jesus "SonGlasses," eyeshades with scripture verses written across the top. There are also offers for beach towels and nightshirts decorated with Bible verses. HOLY SPIRIT CLOCK PUSHED: There are scripture clocks for the person tough to buy for, reports Christian Retailing. Different clock faces offer a series of scripture verses imprinted at the hour mark. When it's 10 o'clock on the Holy Spirit Clock, for instance, it says, "The Holy Spirit shall teach you in that same hour what you should say. (Luke 12:12.)" (End of package.) Trends & Marketing Editor: Michele Coleman. (1-919-855-3491) Making copies of USA TODAY Update (Copyright, 1992) for further distribution violates federal law. This article is copyright 1992 Gannett News Service. Redistribution to other sites is not permitted except by arrangement with American Cybercasting Corporation. For more information, send-email to usa@AmeriCast.COM