Americans are rallying around the US flag following the nation's biggest terrorist attack.
Kroger Co, Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Home Depot Inc say they are selling out of American flags in what retailers and manufacturers say is the biggest buying spree in the past decade.
The Atlanta Braves baseball team purchased about 50,000 US flags to give away to fans at its first home game when professional baseball resumes. Games have been postponed through today after terrorists on Tuesday hijacked and crashed commercial airlines into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon near Washington.
PHOTO: REUTERS
"It's an expression of our support and patriotism," said team spokesman Jim Schultz.
Atlas Flags Inc, a retailer and manufacturer in Atlanta, has sold 400,000 US flags in the past two days, or its typical sales for two months, said Bob Rosenthal, co-owner of the 33-employee business. Sales are running at the highest level since the Gulf War in 1991.
"It's bonkers," Rosenthal said. "The terrorists attacked the very icons of American life. Everyone wants to show cohesion and stand together here." More than 40,000 people worked in the trade center complex of seven buildings, and New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said "thousands and thousands" of people may have perished.
President George W. Bush called the attacks an "act of war" and proclaimed yesterday a national day of prayer to remember the victims.
Thousands have chosen to remember with flags.
"We've got six phone lines and they've been lit up all day yesterday and this morning," said Steve Ruggs, a sales manager at American Flag and Banner Co, a flag maker, in Clawson, Michigan.
"We've got people lined up out the door." Home Depot, the largest US home-improvement retailer, has placed orders for flags and expects to restock its 1,132 US
stores in the next day or two, said Jackie Tate, a spokeswoman.
"All of our stores are out," Tate said. "Typically, flags are mainly a seasonal item, sold around Memorial Day and the Fourth of July." Wal-Mart, the largest retailer, said flags were in heavy demand at its more than 2,700 US stores.
"Anything that's red, white and blue, and flags, are in big demand," company spokesman Tom Williams said.
At Kroger Co, the largest US supermarket chain, "We've sold all our American flags throughout the country," said Gary Rhodes, a company spokesman. "We are trying to work with suppliers to get more." Suppliers say inventories are dwindling as demand is typically low at this time of year.
"We've taken enough orders to sell most of our inventory," said Randy Beard Jr, vice president of corporate sales at Annin & Co, a maker in Roseland, New Jersey. "Anytime we have tragedy like this, it seems to pull America together."
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