Ribbons of hope: There`s a symbolic commodity that`s apparently in great demand these days and has been since war broke out in the Persian Gulf war:
yellow ribbons. Used to remind the folks back home of their loved ones on the battlefield, the decorative ribbons are disappearing quickly from store shelves.
”There was a strong demand as soon as we went to war,” said Maureen Ruth, a buyer at craft supply store Lee Ward`s corporate headquarters in Elgin. ”As the war escalates, more and more people are basically going wild for yellow ribbons.”
So popular are the strips of cotton, satin and plastic that some of the company`s 12 Chicagoland stores are suffering a temporary yellow ribbon shortage while manufacturers` shipments make their way to retail outlets, Ruth said.
Sales of yardage have risen from ”hundreds to thousands” per day, Ruth said. ”People are putting bows on doors and they`re wrapping trees.”
Ribbons colored orange, the unofficial Operation Desert Storm color, are also doing a brisk business, Ruth said, as are red, white and blue ribbons.
Anticipating the next big buyer demand, Ruth recently put in an order for another product: pre-tied bows. Meanwhile, she`s trying to fill the retail stores` clamor for more yellow ribbons. ”They would take as much yellow ribbon as I could give them,” she said.
