Columnist Muriel Stevens: Nexcite enhances market

Wednesday, July 3, 2002 | 8:25 a.m.

Julia Roberts and Adam Sandler may seem like an unlikely film pairing, but the box office dynamos are the featured actors in the movie "Genie in a Bottle," scheduled for release Valentine's Day. Roberts plays the part of Lari Williams; Sandler is her husband.

The plot for "Genie in a Bottle" comes from the true story of how the Swedish product Nexcite, a nonalcoholic so-called "romance enhancer" became a best-seller in America. The product is made by Nordic Drinks in Stockholm.

It was not a winner in Europe, but chance intervened when Williams, owner of Wycoff Coffee House in Little Rock, Ark., and her husband Roger discovered it in Texas at a trade show (where it was also not a winner), and recognized its marketing potential.

So off she went to Sweden where she convinced the company to make her the sole American distributor. She began promoting Nexcite at her coffee house and soon was making appearances on "Good Morning America," "The Today Show" and CNN. Sales soared.

Locally, the fizzy, blue, berry-tasting liquid is the hottest product among the many lines represented by Alice Bergendorff, former buyer and store manager of the Canyon Ranch Living Essentials shop at the Canal Shoppes at The Venetian.

Bergendorff is now a retail consultant for resorts, spas and boutiques. Her company, Spa Angel, was given the exclusive rights to Nexcite for Nevada by Lari Williams. According to Bergendorff, Nexcite fits right in with her product concept, "To offer products that nourish the body, mind and spirit."

Nexcite is a mix of South American herbs, ginseng, food coloring and citric acid and contains the amount of caffeine found in a cup of coffee. Although nonalcoholic, it is not recommended for small children, pregnant women, persons sensitive to caffeine or those with high blood pressure. The FDA does not regulate and approve herbal products, but Nexcite's ingredients listing and labeling does meet with FDA approval.

Small bottles of Nexcite ($5) can be found at the sundries store at the Hard Rock Hotel. A champagne-bottle size in a wooden presentation box ($25) is available from Spa Angel. Call 429-9916. A portion of the money from direct sales will benefit the Firefighters Burn Foundation of Southern Nevada.

The MGM Grand spa includes "Love in a Bottle" with its couples spa services. "For best results, chill, but do not add ice to the drink, it dilates the effect," Bergendorff said.

Happy birthday, L.L.Bean: A grand celebration will take place Aug. 2, when L.L.Bean celebrates its 90th anniversary at the flagship store in Freeport, Maine. Among the festivities is the inaugural launch of L.L. Bean's anniversary hot air balloon at dusk.

It was 1912 when Leon Leonwood Bean created the Maine Hunting Shoe, selling it through mail-order and a small store on Main Street. In 1951 "LL," out of loyalty to his customers, "threw away the keys" to the small store and has remained open 24/7 every day of the year since.

With its own "golden rule" of customer satisfaction, L.L.Bean has made retail history.