Reacting to the terrorist activities on the East Coast, a run swept through Toledo and Bowling Green Wednesday.
It was not a run on the banks, nor on the grocers. Rather, people made a run on hardware stores everywhere.
In an effort to display their support and patriotism, citizens snatched up all numbers and sizes of the United States flag. Hardware stores both in Toledo and Bowling Green witnessed a drastic jump in sales following Tuesday’s attack.
“Last week, you couldn’t give the flags away, but Tuesday really prompted sales,” said Carol Halas of Janney’s Ace Hardware in Toledo. “Between Tuesday and Wednesday, we are getting wiped out of flags.”
As Toledo and local stores watched their supplies dwindle, more and more people came to the stores searching for flags. In the first 36 hours since the attack, Meijer on Alexis Road in Toledo nearly depleted its small flag stock. Meijer management responded immediately by placing a rush order for at least 500 additional flags through their corporate headquarters.
Unfortunately, Meijer’s warehouses do not store flags so the vendor must produce and distribute them. Meijer hopes to restock by the end of the week, but if the vendor cannot come through swiftly, it may take a few days.
While no one predicted the jump in sales, the personnel at the stores were not all that surprised. Meijer worker John Stewart said of the customers,”They just want to put the flag in their yards to show their support.”
And the patriotism was not limited to Toledo. Local Bowling Green stores reported a similar spike in sales. The Meijer in Bowling Green not only sold its flags leftover from summer, but it placed its entire winter stock on its shelves. Even though the change between seasons was in progress, the demand for flags required the transition immediately.
In addition to Meijer, the local Ben Franklin also saw sales rise. Cashiers noticed the unusual number of flags sold, and at the same time, Franklin’s patriotic ribbon has become a hot commodity.
“Everybody’s trying to show their American spirit,” said Sandy, a Ben Franklin sales associate.
In Toledo, a manager at the Home Depot on Airport Highway expressed confidence in American patriotism. He expected the brisk sales to continue saying that the country will pull together like it always does.