Tucson Retail Slump
This is no time to be out on the fringes–From AzStarBiz:
“My guess would be that two-thirds of the retailers out there have significantly slowed down their expansion plans for the next year or two,” said Will Ander, senior partner for Chicago-based retail consultant McMillan Doolittle.The retail market in Arizona is shaping up to be the toughest in five years, said Folger, of Staubach Retail.Much of the problem has to do with over-ambitious shopping-center construction in outlying areas, said Mark Ruble, a Phoenix retail investment specialist for Marcus & Millichap. Phoenix is in worse shape because there was more overbuilding, but Tucson isn’t exempt from the trend, Ruble said.
I Drink Alone / With Nobody Else
From Restaurants & Institutions:
Alcohol Sales Weather Downturn, with Increased Consumption at Home, not Restaurants
Alcoholic beverages are withstanding the economic slowdown very well, compared to other categories that might be considered indulgent or non-necessities, said Danny Brager, a vice president in client service and beverage alcohol for Nielsen’s polling service. But the poll found a large number of consumers are going out less often to restaurants, bars and nightclubs and are buying alcohol for consumption at home. Read the full story >>Bottoms up! Alcohol sales outdo economy
Inside the sausage…
Even Tempe politics–Tempe being basically a small town, no matter the inflated opinions of some around here–get pretty complicated at the micro level of scrutiny. This story from the Tribune is a fun look at one instance that involves firemen, unions, alcohol and lobbyists. Much ado about nothing, if you ask me: conspiracy theorists think mere association is the same as causation, but in a small community everything is connected within a few degrees of separation.
Councilwoman’s job could create conflict
