FIGHT BACK : WHERE TO FIND A MULTIPACK OF CHEAP GAS.

Byline: David Horowitz 

The latest supermarket and warehouse-store gimmick used to lure more shoppers in is selling cut-rate gas. Convenience-store chains have been doing it successfully for years

When the national warehouse chain Costco Wholesale started to sell cheap gas at about 25 stores in California, it was very successful. Now, industry analysts are predicting that other chains will adopt the same idea to remain on the competitive track.

At Costco, motorists line up at some stores like there was a gas shortage. I checked it out, and Costco members were saving anywhere from 1 cent to 15 cents a gallon, depending on spot market gas prices.

Now, another national chain, Albertson's supermarkets, will install 600 new fuel centers in the next few years. Gas prices will depend on how much a customer spends at its stores, and gas rebates will be given at checkout.

The more a shopper buys, the cheaper the price they'll pay for gas. The loser in these gas wars will be independent gas stations who are putting together plans to compete in order to keep their customer base. I predict that all this might trigger another long-overdue gas price war.

Stuck on sticker deals

Charitable fund-raisers have learned that America loves personalized stickers and will send in a contribution more willingly, even if they don't know what the organization does, as a thank you for having received them.

The mass-label marketers have now stepped up to a phase two level in trying to put more people on their personal sticker sucker list. New stickers are now made larger to fit windows and doors. However, many people display the stickers without ever contributing, thinking they are getting something for nothing, which they appear to be doing because of supportive people. These organizations, however, care more about the personalized advertising that will be seen every day.

Platinum status symbols

Platinum is an expensive precious metal trying to cut out a bigger piece of the market for itself. Platinum public relations pushers have succeeded in making a platinum-colored credit card classier by offering upscale perks in expensive stores, trips and other services.

The actual metal is now on the hottest-selling wedding bands and is pushing yellow and white gold off the third finger of the left hand.

Gold prices have been just under $300 an ounce for some time, while platinum can cost about $355 an ounce. The reason platinum costs so much more is because it takes more intensive labor to produce platinum than to mine gold. Even so, public relations ads for platinum have started a fad and a buying frenzy among couples who want to be hip and different when they say ``I do.'' What's next? Titanium wedding bands?