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Show THE THUNDERBIRD SUSC PAGE 5 TUESDAY JANUARY 17, 1989 Christmas shopping season gave merchants little cheer BY JODI REINARD WOMENS CLOTHING Cedar City s downtown merchants are still waiting for the economic growth officials claimed would accompany the arrival of PEPCON Production Company and other new industries to southern Utah. Merchants located in the heart of Cedar City say they saw no significant increases or decreases in their revenue from the Christmas 88 shopping season. The Downtown Merchants Association tried to boost revenue during the annual shopping season by promoting the downtown area with family activities; but Christmas sales remained about the same as in years past, according to DMA members. The Christmas Stroll was the day after Thanksgiving. It was an effort to have downtown family activities for a Christmas season kick-ofsaid Jack Whipple, owner of JRs Department Store. Some retailers blame severe weather conditions for lackluster response to the event. We had more sales that night, but the weather was colder than last years, so not as many people of Fashion Crossroads. attended, said Louise Slack, their merchants noticed little if some efforts, Despite promotional sales. increase in any Things were the same. Conditions were the same, overall it was the same. There were no big increases or decreases this year, said Whipple. Slack said sales were unusually slow at the beginning of the season, but the late shoppers this year made up for the slow start. Some downtown merchants cite competition from bargain stores like as one reason for the sales stagnation. I think there is a certain amount of business that has been lost to them, said ' Slack. Whipple disagreed. I dont think so, he said. If you have what; customers want, theyll buy it from you. While efforts have been made to make downtown shopping more convenient for customers, local retailers believe little more can be done to encourage increased patronage of stores in the downtown area. All you can do is have what they want at the price they want to pay, said Whipple. I really dont know what else can be done, Slack added. While many downtown merchants saw no marked increase in revenues from the holiday season, at least one major retailer near the outskirts of town saw increased sales during the 1988 Christmas season. I think it was a better Christmas season, said Renee Smith, assistant manager of Cedar Citys Contrary to the perceptions of some merchants in the center of town, Smith said, extra growth in the area has added to our SALES THROUGHOUT THE STORE ALL SWEATERS 25 OFF WE'LL IMPRESS YOU WITH: 60 SAVINGS OF 20 f, EVERYDAY ALL FIRST QUALITY-NEV-ER SECONDS OR IRREGULARS MANY NAME BRANDS ARRIVING ALL THE TIME co-own- er 45 N. MAIN 586-22M.C. & VISA K-M- 61 rt. sales. Smith said customer incentives have added to her stores increased revenues. We have a wider variety and a merchandise return policy, said Smith. Snoozers are losers (CONTINUED FROM PAGE 4) Im in the properly hateful state necessary to 2 face another day. the fact that Tari has her own snooze alarm, which goes off at intervals just a few minutes off from mine. She never seems to hear hers, either, so Im forced to actually speak even shout aloud (a sure sign that night is now day), or reach over and shut it off for her. Her answering punch is the final indication that dreamtime is up. Sometimes I get so frustrated that I grab the damn clock and time flies. Each day, then, is ushered in by a cacophonous symphony from the post, post modern era. I guess the only reason I dont get rid of this invention from hell is that Im a stubborn American, guaranteed the right to bear arms even against myself. Contributing to the morning chaos . is DR A. IF. RICH, OPTOMETRIST 60 NORTH MAIN 586-888- 1 $10" DELIVERY HOURS: , DISCOUNT ON ALL SERVICES AND MATERIALS TO STUDENTS, FACULTY AND STAFF AND THEIR FAMILIES YEAR ROUND. FRIENDLY, CARING, EXPERIENCED, WITH COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY Sunday thru Thursday 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. Friday & Saturday 5:00 to 11:00 p.m. QUALITY EYE CARE SINCE 1958 25 MEDIUM CHEESE PIZZAS i 586-730- 0 mm cm3 ucw |