Gordman's features 'something unexpected'

Several lucky South Oaks Centre shoppers have been treated to free T-shirts, hats or even lunch during the last few weeks by a group of people wearing shirts with the letter "G" on the front. They leave only a card with a "G" on one side, and the phrase, "something unexpected" on the other side, in place of a bill.

They have also been seen downtown and in other cities across the Midwest buying people coffee, paying for movie tickets, pumping and paying for gas, handing out bottled water at fitness clubs and giving balloons to children.

Known as the G-Team, these do-gooders are part of a unique marketing campaign developed by Gordmans, an Omaha, Neb.-based retailer whose stores across the Midwest were formerly known as Half Price Stores. Springfield's Half Price Store, now Gordmans, is located in the South Oaks Centre on South Campbell.

"The whole mission of the G-Team is to take our mission of delighting our guests with savings on name brands in fun, easy-to-shop stores and extending that concept into the community by performing random acts of kindness. We think that it's fun; we think that it's unexpected," said President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Gordman.

The company opened 11 new stores under the Gordmans name in the fall of 1999 and plans to open four more this year. It is renaming 22 of its existing Half Price Stores and converting them to the new Gordmans prototype, which involves internal renovation of the stores and new features, such as a children's theater called Gordmans Giggles, an area called Gordmans Grandstand where guests can watch sports on television.

"The Half Price Store name represented only one aspect of our stores, namely price," Gordman said. "Three years ago, we didn't have the national name brands in the consistency, breadth and depth that you can find in our stores today. Gordmans is a much easier and fun place to shop than the Half Price Store of three years ago. The old name just wasn't consistent with what guests will find with Gordmans."

Gordmans is a family-owned, privately held company that was founded in 1915 by Russian immigrant Sam Richman. In 1936, Richman's son-in-law, Dan Gordman, joined him, and he is considered the modern founder of the company.

Jeff Gordman took over as president from Dan Gordman, his grandfather, in 1996.

Jeff Gordman developed the G-Team marketing concept and new name as part of his vision of how the chain should evolve.

"The new concept is the finishing touch on a retail strategy that's been formulated over the last three years," Gordman said.